Last Friday, we shared that a routine surveillance PCR test confirmed a case of canine distemper in a dog at APS on Thursday evening. We immediately paused dog movement, adoptions, and most dog volunteer activities. Taking these precautions very quickly gave us the time we needed to carefully evaluate the situation and proceed with the best information possible.
After consulting closely with local veterinary experts and nationally recognized leaders in shelter medicine, we decided to partner with the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine Shelter Medicine Program. As one of the country’s leading experts in infectious disease management for animal shelters, they are helping us develop a comprehensive response plan based on current science, diagnostics, vaccination status, facility limitations, and our available resources.
What Happens Next
With support from the University of Wisconsin, we will begin by testing every dog currently in the shelter this week. Thanks to this partnership, we can obtain test results quickly and at a significantly reduced cost, making this comprehensive assessment possible.
By the end of this week, we expect to have a much clearer understanding of the health and risk status of our entire dog population.
Individualized Decision-Making
Test results are only one part of the evaluation process. Every decision will be based on a careful review of multiple factors, including:
- Clinical signs and overall health
- Risk to other shelter animals
- Available isolation and foster resources
Our goal is to make the best possible decision for each individual dog while protecting the health of the entire shelter population and our community.
Temporary Precautions Continue for Now
While we complete testing and risk assessment, APS will continue to operate under temporary precautions through at least Saturday, July 4. During this time:
- Dog adoptions from the shelter will remain paused.
- Dog foster placements from the shelter will remain paused.
- Dog intake will be limited to those situations that are necessary to protect public safety and animal welfare. (Our sincere thanks go to our partners at Durham County Animal Services, who have been supporting us every step of the way!)
- Volunteer activities will remain limited. While dog walking is temporarily paused, we will continue other activities that support our dogs’ welfare while minimizing disease risk.
We anticipate providing the community with a meaningful update by Monday, July 6, including a timeline for safely resuming adoptions, foster placements, volunteer activities, and other normal operations for dogs whenever possible.
How You Can Help
This response depends on all of us. Over the coming days, we will continue working alongside our volunteers, foster families, rescue partners, veterinary experts, and community to safely care for every animal in our shelter.
Comprehensive testing requires additional supplies, including PCR test kits, blood collection materials, personal protective equipment, disinfecting supplies, and other medical resources. If you would like to support this effort, please consider making a donation to our Healthy Shelter Fund. Every contribution helps us protect the health of the animals in our care while providing the best possible shelter medicine during this response.
Thank you for your patience, support, and continued commitment to the animals, volunteers, and staff of APS.
