Cincinnati Animal CARE pauses dog operations after spike in respiratory infections

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A local animal shelter closed both of its locations Sunday after a reported uptick in respiratory infections among dogs.

Representatives from Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society spoke to FOX19NOW about the impact this has made on the shelter.

“We’re seeing an uptick in a canine respiratory infection. It could be something minor, we really just don’t know what we’re dealing with right now,” Ray Anderson, Cincinnati Animal CARE Community Engagement Manager said.

Staff from the shelter say an unsuspected spread of a respiratory illness among the dogs in their care led them to pause operations at both their Colerain Avenue and Dane Avenue locations Sunday.

“A lot of times these cases present as run-of-the-mill kennel cough which in our line of work we deal with not in-frequently,“ Anderson said. “Right now, I know that there are three dogs that are definitely affected.”

Anderson says the staff closed the shelter out of an abundance of caution until test results determine how serious the infection is. He says halting operations, even temporarily is a massive strain for the shelter.

“Any pause in operations is not good for us,” Anderson says. “There’s maybe 90 of us total that work here at the shelter, and we service a county of 800,000 people.”

There are more than 400 dogs in the Cincinnati Animal CARE shelters right now. Anderson says that earlier this month, the shelter took in more than 300 dogs. He said that the majority of the dogs were unvaccinated.

“If a dog is coming in unvaccinated and they’re already sick, that is something that’s always going to be a concern for an animal shelter. They get vaccinated upon arrival, but that’s not an immediate cure for anything,” Anderson explained.

This latest uptick in respiratory infections at the shelter comes six months after an outbreak of canine distemper virus killed four dogs.

“It’s hard work….it’s a mental and emotional toll as well,” says Anderson.

Anderson hopes to hammer home the importance of vaccinating pets while asking volunteers and foster families to step up.

“Just losing a single day of adoptions like we did today, we’re going to need adopters and fosters to come out from the community in a big way,” Anderson emphasizes. “No animal can leave the shelter without a human attached to it.”

Anderson said the shelter’s staff could be getting test results back within a day or so. He also said that depending on how serious the respiratory infection is, it could be a few days before dog operations resume.

According to the shelter’s staff, as of right now, no cats are affected.

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