Canine Pneumovirus cleared from over 100 dogs at Animal Foundation

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Tuesday is a day of celebration for The Animal Foundation, as they’ve officially cleared all dogs of Canine Pneumovirus, a type of upper respiratory illness.

Now, it’s time for 131 dogs to find homes.

“Essentially what we did was as soon as we had confirmation this was present we did contact tracing similar to what was done with the COVID virus,” said Chief Veterinarian Casey Miller.

From short staffing issues to dogs getting sick, the shelter has had a rough month. In early October, the shelter reported 17 dogs were exposed to Canine Pneumovirus. In a few weeks time the virus spread to over 100 dogs.

That’s when workers put in some serious work.

“Basically knowing the ins and outs of how this disease works how long it takes to incubate in the body before the dog starts to show signs and how long the signs are cleared out of the dog,” said Miller.

Along with strict sanitization and cleaning regimens, separation and quarantining of dogs, Miller says many things went into making sure these dogs were not only getting better but ready to be cleared.

“To keep them under observation and isolation until they reach that 14-day mark and then we use PCR testing to make sure that virus is no longer present,” said Miller.

PCR testing is a laboratory test that can efficiently detect the presence of “pathogens” – typically used for parvo and other diseases in dogs. The shelter closed their dog adoptions and intakes immediately, while watching the dogs closely.

“At least the dogs that have been in our care have been in our care infected and gone through it are clear now,” said Miller.

All of the dogs are up for adoption now, however CEO Hilarie Grey says they’ve learned a lot through this process including the power of the community, and pulling through.

“Our team is so everyone is here because they love animals and they love the community they want to make sure they’re getting animals into homes, we’ve asked the public to come out and foster and adopt volunteer all of that is really important,” said Grey.

While things are back to normal, staff here say they’re staying optimistic and hopeful that the dogs get to find their loving homes.

Especially dogs like Muffin and Marvin Gaye, they need homes. Some advice, if you do decide on adopting a dog give the pet about two weeks before introducing your dog to the adoptee. At this moment, there is no vaccine for Canine Pneumovirus so be sure to check for signs like runny nose, coughing, and overall lethargic behavior from your dog.

If you happen to see a lost or stray dog in your neighborhood, staff say it’s best to contact the family through Facebook or NextDoor first before contacting animal control, which will be less traumatic for the puppy or dog.

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