Committee hears testimony on parvovirus outbreak and euthanasia of 19 animals after St. Louis County takeover

Dr. Douglas Pernicoff, the county’s then-veterinary director, told the St. Louis County Committee of the Whole on June 26 that a parvovirus outbreak in April–May 2025 led to the euthanasia of 19 animals after the county took over shelter operations from the Animal Protective Association (APA) earlier this year.

Pernicoff testified that he was hired January 21, 2025; that he worked “32 hours a week” under the agreement but averaged “50 to 60 hours a week;” and that he left the shelter after receiving a personnel letter on May 9, 2025. He said the first clinically confirmed case appeared in kennel 500 around April 19 and, because “there was no place for legitimate isolation and quarantine of that animal,” the dog remained in general population and later was euthanized. He told the committee, “We didn't even have a single IV line,” and said the shelter lacked caging, staff and supplies needed to treat a cluster of parvovirus cases at scale.

Why it matters: committee members framed the hearing as part of an ongoing investigation into shelter operations after the county takeover earlier in 2025. Testimony and document requests highlighted gaps the county may need to address — including whether the shelter had sufficient staff, clear standard operating procedures (SOPs), procurement access to vendors, and timely communication up the public-health chain.

Key facts from testimony and the record

- Pernicoff said the outbreak began with a dog he identified as “patient 1” that tested positive for parvovirus in kennel 500 around April 19 and that later cases appeared rapidly over the following days. He said by his estimate…