Dog adoptions remain on hold at Regional Animal Adoption Center – parvo cases confirmed

UPDATE: On June 27th, the City of Southlake confirmed with the Keller- based Regional Adoption Center that adoptions are still on hold for an undetermined time period until all dogs can be brought back to health. All impacted Cities are monitoring the situations carefully.

The Keller-based Regional Animal Adoption Center also serving Colleyville, Southlake and Westlake will be taking precautions for the next week after two cases of parvo were confirmed in newly admitted dogs.

Showings and adoptions of dogs stopped Thursday afternoon, June 20, and will remain on hold until at least
Friday, June 28. Keller Police Lt. Mike Wilson said the week is required to follow best practices protocol in
response to parvo, including sanitizing the center, and observing and testing any dogs who may have been
exposed to the virus.

“We need to focus on the health of our animals and make sure we also keep visitors’ household pets safe,”
Wilson said. “This virus can latch on to shoes, clothes -so we want to avoid having anyone in the dog portion
of the adoption center who could later expose the virus to healthy animals.”

Lt. Wilson has closed the facility to dog transfers from other communities’ shelters, and said regional Animal
Services officers will be working hard for the next week to locate and contact lost dogs’ owners in the field to
avoid admitting the animals to the adoption center.

Regional Animal Services is urging dog owners throughout the region to take the following steps to protect
their dogs from this deadly disease:

• Make sure your dog or puppy is up to date on all vaccinations, including the vaccination for parvo
• Keep your pet away from the feces of other dogs
• Remove animal feces from your yard frequently
• Keep food bowls and animal bedding clean

Pet owners are advised to watch their dogs carefully for symptoms of the virus, which include loss of appetite,
vomiting, dehydration, fever, depression, lethargy and diarrhea.

For more information, please contact Lt. Mike Wilson at 817-743-4508.