According to a news release from the city of Plano, all owner surrender appointments have been canceled, and at-large dogs will be picked up only as a last resort. To ensure the highly contagious disease does not spread, no dogs are allowed to leave the shelter. Adoption and fostering of dogs is unavailable until further notice, but adoption of cats is still available.
Plano Director of Animal Services Jamey Cantrell expects the changes to last around three weeks, dependent on "how everyone responds to the [medication] and how well we can keep new dogs from coming in and getting exposed."
The shelter is located at 4028 W. Plano Parkway.
Per the release, the outbreak stemmed from a dog that had developed a cough on Jan. 17. As a precaution, the dog was placed in the dog isolation unit at the shelter. The following day, three additional dogs showed similar symptoms.
Test results showed that all four dogs were positive for canine influenza. Out of 102 total dogs, 98 are ill and receiving treatment.
As a precaution, Plano Animal Services is urging local dog owners to contact their veterinarian and get their dogs vaccinated for canine influenza. Owners should also contact their veterinarian if any dog exhibits symptoms, such as coughing, lethargy or other signs of an upper respiratory illness.
Canine influenza spreads easily among dogs and is considered an “endemic” to dogs, according to the release. Canine influenza is an airborne disease that is spread via respiratory droplets, making it especially easy to spread in a shelter.
Per the release, there has never been a documented case of the disease transmitting to humans.
