Cincinnati Animal Care, (CAC) which is Hamilton County’s official animal shelter, is pausing adoptions and intake for dogs at its Northside location to prevent the spread of a virus.
According to an April 6 announcement from CAC spokesperson Ray Anderson, the shelter confirmed two cases of canine distemper virus (CDV) in stray dogs that recently arrived at CAC’s shelter in Northside.
What is CDV?
“Cincinnati Animal CARE is consulting with the best local veterinary teams for individual animal care as needed and is under the guidance of leading veterinary experts who specialize in shelter CDV out of the University of Florida,” reads a release from the shelter.
Anderson said CDV is not transmissible from dogs to humans or dogs to cats, but is highly contagious for dogs, primarily impacting unvaccinated dogs and puppies. CVD can cause a variety of symptoms including fever, cough, eye and nose discharge, GI distress, lethargy, and swelling of the paw pads.
Dogs already go through routine vaccinations upon arrival at CAC. Anderson said the “D” in the “DHPP” vaccine is what protects dogs from CVD. The vaccine, however, is not effective for animals who come to the shelter already ill with the virus. CDV can lie dormant for up to two weeks.
Indefinite precautions
Out of an abundance of caution, CAC announced it will not be accepting any dog intakes at the shelter’s headquarters in Northside until further notice. This includes strays and owner-surrendered dogs.
Cats will continue to enter and exit the shelter as normal, as the virus does not spread to cats.
All animal emergencies must go through the Hamilton County Dog Wardens, who operate out of CAC. Dog wardens will be housing strays and other necessary intakes at an off-site facility while the county shelter undergoes daily deep cleanings.
CAC’s current dog population will be quarantined until medically cleared, which Anderson said will be difficult given the shelter’s strict one-dog-per-kennel policy and ongoing space issues.
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“We operate in a building without adequate medical quarantining facilities, so minimizing dog interactions as much as possible will be crucial,” Anderson said.
How you can help CAC
To help minimize stress on the shelter, CAC is asking the community to assist their efforts by helping lost dogs find their owners before resorting to the dog wardens. CAC is also encouraging adoptions from their off-site adoption shelter at 3262 Highland Ave. in Pleasant Ridge. Anderson said these dogs have been in foster care and do not have the CDV virus.
Vaccinating your animals is another ask from the shelter, which Anderson said is the number one reason CAC finds itself in this position.
“We wish we did not have to share this news, but transparency with our community is non-negotiable. You have a right to know that CDV has been discovered within our community as this is the result of unvaccinated animals roaming Hamilton County,” Anderson said. “We cannot emphasize enough the importance of vaccinating your pets.”
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This article appears in Apr 5-18, 2023.
