Prince George's Co. Animal Shelter Shut Down Immediately After Canine Influenza Detected

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — An outbreak of canine influenza has invaded the Prince George's County Animal Shelter, which has been shut down effective Thursday.

The animal shelter will be closed for two weeks as the animals are quarantined and treated.

Dogs surrendered by their owners due to severe illness will be humanely euthanized. All animal-to-animal and human-to-animal interactions, including dog walking, will be limited. The facility will make every attempt to contact pet owners of stray animals entering or found running at large with a microchip to return pets to its owner, the shelter announced Thursday.

The canine influenza virus happens to be one of the viral causes of kennel cough. It does not affect humans but is highly contagious for dogs and can be fatal.

“As seen recently in other local shelters and those across the country, our facility is seeing a dramatic increase in canine influenza and closing the facility at this time is necessary to protect our animal population,” said Andrea Crooms, Prince George's County Department of the Environment Director . “This will help ensure the virus doesn’t leave our facility and protect other animals in our community and prevent the further spread of this disease.”

All owners with animals at the facility eligible for release are asked to redeem their pets as soon as possible. All spay and neuter, and pet redemption costs will be waived during this time. All potential adoptions and transfers of rescues and fosters will be limited to asymptomatic animals, the shelter stated.

Although cats can, in rare cases, contract the disease, it is rare for them to develop symptoms or spread it to other animals. There is no sign of canine influenza in the shelter's cat and critter populations. Although canine influenza can cause severe illness, all dogs in the facility's care are expected to recover with proper medication and the care of the staff.

Dog flu cases can range from mild to severe and, unlike human influenzas, are not seasonal. Symptoms resemble kennel cough and pet parents should look for the following signs year-round and speak with a veterinarian if they are noticed:

• Coughing (both moist and dry)
• Sneezing
• Nasal discharge
• Purulent nasal discharge
• Runny eyes
• Fever
• Lethargy
• Difficulty breathing

To help reduce the spread of the disease, ASFAC encourages pet owners to limit visits to dog parks, doggie daycares, groomers and other public spaces where pets can have dog-to-dog contact.