Council hearing probes parvovirus outbreak, euthanasia and shelter operations at St. Louis County facility

Dr. Douglas Pernicoff, a veterinarian who testified under subpoena, told the St. Louis County Committee of the Whole on June 26 that he worked at the county animal shelter beginning Jan. 21, 2025, and that the facility experienced a parvovirus outbreak in April and May that led to roughly 19 animals being euthanized.

The testimony and subsequent council questioning focused on why the animals could not be isolated or treated, who approved euthanasia decisions, what written protocols existed and whether county leadership and public‑health managers were adequately informed about the outbreak and the shelter’s operational needs.

Pernicoff said the shelter lacked space for legitimate isolation and the staffing and supplies needed for intensive treatment, which shaped the response. “We had no real way to isolate or quarantine that animal or even to treat it,” he told the committee, adding that treatment for parvovirus requires IV fluids, anti‑nausea drugs, antibiotics and close nursing care. He said monoclonal antibody treatment — used in some emergency clinics for vulnerable puppies — would have cost roughly $1,100–$1,200 per large dog and was not feasible within the shelter’s budget.

Pernicoff described a sequence beginning with a symptomatic dog in a large, shared kennel (he identified it as “kennel 500”), an initial positive parvo test, an inability to move the animal…