Virus outbreak forces Conroe animal shelter to put down 60 dogs

The Conroe Animal Shelter has euthanized 60 dogs in the past week to control an outbreak of parvovirus. The Conroe Animal Shelter has euthanized 60 dogs in the past week to control an outbreak of parvovirus. Photo: Conroe Police Department Photo: Conroe Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Virus outbreak forces Conroe animal shelter to put down 60 dogs 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

To squelch an outbreak of highly contagious parvovirus, workers at the Conroe Animal Shelter have euthanized 60 dogs in the past week, officials said.

Meanwhile the facility has stopped animal adoptions until the outbreak is brought under control, said Deputy Chief Russell Reynolds of the Conroe Police Department.

The shelter's consulting veterinarians will assess the situation Friday to see if it's safe to resume adoptions, Reynolds said.

"We want to do everything within our power to stop the spread of this," he said. "We don't want to do anything that could jeopardize animals out in the community having this transmitted to them."

Meanwhile, at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter, which is also in the Conroe area, there is no parvovirus outbreak, said Minda Harris, director.

"We haven't had any more problems than last year," Harris said of the county facility at 8535 Texas 242. "We've had no major outbreak at all."

At the city shelter, 407 Sgt. Ed Holcomb Blvd., parvovirus was discovered April 4 when two dogs showed the typical symptoms of vomiting and foul-smelling diarrhea, Russell said.

Since then, he said, any dog that showed signs of the virus has been put down to stop the spread as soon as possible.

Other symptoms of parvovirus include loss of appetite, fever, general weakness and dehydration, Reynolds said.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the extremely contagious virus can be transmitted by any person, animal or object that comes in contact with an infected dog's feces.

The highly resistant virus can survive for months, leaving unvaccinated dogs vulnerable to contracting it anywhere there are other dogs, according to the ASPCA website. (http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-parvovirus.aspx)

Although the Conroe shelter is closed for adoptions, the shelter is continuing to operate, and other dogs have come and gone from the 109-bed facility, Reynolds said.

"We can't refuse to take the animals off the streets that people are calling in on," he said.