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Dallas Animal Services limits intake and expands testing, foster and treatment protocols after distemper cases
Summary
Dallas Animal Services reported three positive canine distemper tests July 31 and said it has limited intake, is working with national veterinary experts and partners including Best Friends and Operation Kindness, and is holding weekly foster/rescue town halls while seeking PPE and donor support.
Erica Bennett, assistant general manager for shelter operations at Dallas Animal Services, told the commission that the shelter received three positive PCR results for canine distemper on the evening of July 31 and immediately activated an outbreak response plan.
"Once we received those results, we started an action plan to mitigate the disease spread in the shelter and to ensure life saving of the dogs that we have currently in the shelter," Bennett said, describing coordination with veterinary experts from Best Friends Animal Society and practitioners who have researched outbreaks at university programs.
The shelter said it has moved to limited intake while it assesses test results and room status, is providing PCR and titer testing supported by Friends of Dallas Animal Services, and has written treatment protocols to allow distemper-positive dogs to be treated in foster homes when clinically appropriate. Bennett said veterinary experts were on-site for case review and that town halls for fosters and volunteers run weekly on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. Rescue partners were also offered a separate town hall to address transfer and treatment questions.
Bennett said distemper spreads by wet surfaces and close contact; it is often more prevalent in colder months but can spread quickly in crowded shelter conditions. She said puppies under 16 weeks are especially vulnerable because an immature immune response means vaccination does not guarantee protection; the shelter traced the outbreak to a litter of seven puppies it believes were infected on intake.
The shelter has reinstated a two-shot booster protocol for adult dogs and a vaccine schedule for puppies under 16 weeks: vaccines every two weeks until 16 weeks, then two post-16-week doses to complete the series. Bennett said the shelter is working to move exposed dogs out of the building and accelerate re-opening of normal intake once the exposure pool is reduced. A meeting next week will review test and room status and set an estimated restart date.
Bennett asked the public for support items and said PPE is a current operational need; she also noted volunteers have been providing donated food for staff. She reported one euthanasia of an affected puppy during the outbreak response and cautioned that distemper can be fatal unless treated early.
Commissioners asked about prevention and community vaccination. Bennett described current vaccine clinics, partnerships with Spay/Neuter Network and TCAP, and a strong community turnout at Saturday vaccine clinics; she urged continued outreach to get vulnerable and under-vaccinated dogs vaccinated and said the shelter is expanding field vaccination and microchipping options.
Ending: Bennett said the shelter will publish updated intake guidance after next week's review, will continue foster and rescue briefings, and asked residents to use the shelter's web resources or call 311 to learn about low-cost vaccine clinics and foster options.
