Pet owners urged to take precautions as local shelters fight canine influenza

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Dogs have started to return to the Pet Resource Center as the shelter works to stop an outbreak of canine influenza.

“There’s already been dogs that have died in Hillsborough County,” said Dr. Cynda Crawford, DVM, PhD with the University of Florida Shelter Medicine Program and College of Veterinary Medicine.

Crawford co-discovered the canine influenza virus and helped develop the vaccine. She’s working with the Pet Resource Center to help stop the spread of the virus.

Last week, PRC was one of several shelters that took drastic measures by shutting down and moving dogs to another facility to quarantine.

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is also not accepting new dogs due to an outbreak of canine influenza.

The highly contagious virus has symptoms similar to the flu in adults.

“Lots of coughing for two weeks or more, as well as a runny nose or nasal discharge and just not feeling that great,” Crawford said.

Crawford said it’s not just shelter dogs at risk. She’s urging owners to get their dogs vaccinated and limit their social interaction.

“The dogs that are at risk for exposure [are] those that socialize with other dogs, in dog parks, in the dog daycare centers, going to PetSmart,” Crawford said.

For dogs who do get sick, Crawford said they need to be confined at home for a minimum of two weeks. If they don’t seem to be recovering, call a vet.

“A certain proportion of them will progress to pneumonia and this pneumonia can be life-threatening,” Crawford said.

A spokesperson for the Pet Resource Center said the shelter reopened to the public for cat adoptions, cat intakes, and cat fostering on Monday.

PRC received the first batch of test results over the weekend and moved 59 dogs back on-site Monday morning. These dogs are in B and C kennels and will be available for adoption starting July 2. The dogs that have been offsite and returned to PRC all have an “I’m Back” sticker on their profile pictures on ADOPT.

PRC said staff worked extremely hard over the past few days to clean PRC top to bottom. Dogs off-site are all doing well, and we will be sending off more tests this week to see who can return in the next wave.

According to a spokesperson for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, the facility is still not accepting any stray or owner-surrendered dogs until July 13. As room allows, HSTB is still taking stray or owner-surrendered cats, rabbits, pocket pets, and exotics.

Adoptions are still open for all species, including dogs currently in HSTB care that are healthy.

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