Last week, The Citizen heard that there was some overcrowding at the Fayette County Animal Shelter so we contacted Animal Control Director Tracy Thompson to find out what local residents could do to help. There was good news and there was bad news.

First, the good news: recently the Fayette County Board of Commissioners approved the Phase 2 building for the shelter, which includes room for livestock and 24 additional kennels. With how Thompson intends to reconfigure the existing shelter, that will leave 50 well-built kennels. The question remains, is that adequate? As of last Friday there were 58 dogs in the shelter.

And here’s the first piece of bad news: As of last week, the Weekend Warrior program and Dog for a Day were both temporarily halted as one of the shelter’s dogs went home with a family for a weekend, and badly bit the face of a child who pulled something away from it.

The dog was euthanized, and now, at county direction, local trainers are evaluating the program to make sure that it is safe for families to take home potential pets for a weekend.

But the hits keep coming. As of today, the shelter has a Parvo outbreak among the dogs, and all adoptions and volunteers are halted while they clean and disinfect and evaluate the dogs under their care. “We have had two older puppies test positive and one adult. We have decided to close down our main kennel for seven days and suspend dog walkers for that period. This should give us time to monitor dogs for symptoms and deep clean,” said Thompson.

According to Thompson the outbreak started with an older puppy who was in a home whose symptoms were a refusal to eat, diarrhea and vomiting.  “The first three were older puppies. One tested positive, was treated after adoption, but sadly did not make it. The second one tested positive and was treated at ER overnight and recovered. The third one was sent to a rescue and is being treated an at an ER. The fourth one was an adult and he tested positive today and is at the vet being treated,” said Thompson.

She continued, “We have boostered any dog under a year with a second vaccine. We clean daily with a parvocide cleaner. We hope it will stay contained if we close for a few days to control traffic. New dogs that have to come will be housed in a different area of the shelter.”

Why parvo, why now? Thompson explained that warm weather brings out the germs. “Parvo is everywhere but pops to the surface in the spring.”

Once this parvo outbreak is through, Thompson hopes that adoptions will pick back up as the weather improves and local residents want a dog to take on their walk.

And Thompson is looking forward to her new building, as the stalls that are being built are indoor/outdoor with increased airflow and she says that will considerably reduce disease.

She said, “It’ll make the dogs healthier. It’ll make the dogs happier. It’ll make the staff happier. It’s way easier. You don’t have to take the dogs out in the field to clean their kennel. It’ll be better disease control.