The Humane Society of Henderson County currently cannot take in dogs, as they are trying to control a parvo outbreak. 

Parvovirus is a highly contagious and often times deadly virus that dogs can contract. It can be contracted through direct or indirect contact. In a press release the Humane Society of Henderson County explains that they're currently experiencing an outbreak.  For the safety and well being of any dog that could come into the shelter, for 14 days they are closing off the dog area to the public, and not allowing any dog to come in. They also will not be taking in strays, as taking in the stray will not only put that dog at risk of parvo, if they get reclaimed they run the risk of now exposing their home area to parvo as well.

Here's all the info from the Humane Society of Henderson County:

This is Angela Hagedorn, Executive Director for the Humane Society of Henderson County, with some important information. Parvo is a highly contagious and deadly disease for dogs. It can be transmitted in two ways. The first is by direct contact through the nose and mouth with infected poop, which can happen when a dog sniffs or licks another dog that has been contaminated with feces or though surfaces that are contaiminated. The second method of transmission is through indirect contact. The virus can survive on clothing, equipment, on human skin, and in the environment. Indirect transmission occurs when a dog comes into contact with a contaminated person, object, or environment. An infected dog can begin shedding the virus four-to-five days after exposure, which is often before the dog starts exhibiting any clinical signs of infection. The dog will continue to shed the virus while he is sick and for up to 10 days after he has recovered. This means that accurate diagnosis and quarantine are essential for the health of your dog and of other dogs, as well. Although the Humane Society takes every precaution we possibly can, parvo has been brought into our building. That is the risk of an open intake shelter and visitors coming daily into the Shelter. That is why the Shelter tests every dog under the age of 1 before they can even enter the building. My job as Executive Director and Animal Warden is to maintain the healthiest shelter for the animals in our care. Although we have done the best we can, outside sources have introduced this to our Shelter. It is my responsibility to make sure to limit the exposure of this disease as much as possible. Therefore, effective immediately, the Shelter will not be intaking any dogs into the facility. The risk to the health and well-being is too great to any new dog entering and the dogs we currently have in the Shelter. We do not want to pick up strays only to have them potentially carrying parvo back to their neighborhoods once reclaimed by owners. We do not want an owner surrendering their dog to us with this parvo risk. The best way for the Shelter to help to limit the exposure to the community is to close all dog areas of the Shelter to the public and not accept any new dogs into the Shelter for at least the next 14 days. I apologize for any inconvenience, but this is an animal health issue. I would like to stress to the community the importance of getting your animals up to date on shots, especially puppies. The way to help prevent this deadly disease is getting your dog vaccinated. Our community is lucky to have five veterinarian offices located throughout the county. Give one of them a call to get your dog and all of your pets up to date on vaccines. Please do not take unvaccinated animals into areas where they can be exposed to diseases such as parvo and inadvertantly spread diseases like parvo. Lastly, parvo is a particularly resilient virus. It can survive indoors at room temperature for at least two months and is resistant to many commonly used cleaners and disinfectants. Outdoors, the parvovirus can survive for months, and even years, if protected from direct sunlight. That is why proper cleanup of the environment is especially important. If you suspect that you have come into contact with parvo at all, wash the affected area with household bleach, one of the few disinfectants known to kill the virus. We have already started the bleaching process at the Shelter (indoor and outdoor) and will continue until we are sure there is no further parvo risk. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We apologize for any inconvenience but appreciate your support in our efforts to be proactive for the health and well-being of the animals in the Shelter and the animals of Henderson County.

 

Of course this is a really tough time for the shelter, and if you'd like to help them out you can make a donation here.

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