Last Updated on August 6, 2023, 3:02 AM | Published: June 3, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Animal Shelter is locked down again for the second time this year after another respiratory outbreak spreads through the busy facility.
Late Saturday afternoon the shelter announced that they were closing once again to try and contain the spreading respiratory illness among the dog population both in the shelter and in dogs across the metro.
The shelter dealt with a similar circumstance in March.
“The Shelter’s vet staff started noticing an uptick in coughing and a runny nose among the dog population on Thursday and sent samples to the lab yesterday,” read the news release. “About 130 dogs have symptoms. There have been no deaths because of the infection.”
Shelter staff report that they are developing a “plan” as they wait for lab results to come back.
Staff suspect from signs and symptoms they are seeing that they are facing the canine flu virus.
Canine influenza A virus is similar to the viral strains that humans get.
During the March closure staff treated the dogs with an antibiotic.
“Animals that are sick, injured, or pose a threat to the community will still be taken in,” says the news release. “The Shelter has a population of approximately 400 dogs.”
If you adopted this week …
Shelter staff are urging caution for those who adopted from the shelter in the past week monitoring their adopted dog for cough and running nose and seek advice from their veterinarian if any of the symptoms develop.
Residents looking for lost pets can visit okc.gov/animalwelfare. Pets that are at the shelter can be reclaimed by their owners.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
