FORT MADISON, Iowa — An animal shelter in Fort Madison is bleaching down kennels and not allowing open tours at this time as they battle the spread of parvovirus. PAW Animal Shelter made news this week after accepting 37 of the 77 Shih Tzus rescued from a Burlington home.
The owner of the dogs had been struggling with health issues before passing away in December, and the care of the dogs gotten away from her. The Shih Tzus have all received their first shots at the shelter and director Sandy Brown says the dog that has tested positive for the parvovirus was brought to the shelter last week, and is unrelated to the Shih Tzus.
The virus is spread through dog feces and can be highly contagious.
Brown said they stop the spread of the virus by treating affected dogs and wiping down everything with bleach. Brown said it’s not uncommon to see a spread of parvo in the springtime, and the best thing owners can do is vaccinate their dogs against the virus.
The 37 Shih Tzus won’t be available for viewing until mid-February, to give them time to be evaluated by a vet. Brown said moving from a home environment to a shelter environment can be scary for dogs, and the wait period allows dogs the time to de-stress.
On Friday, Jan. 27, the shelter posted photos of a few of the rescued dogs before and after a grooming session. Anyone interested in adopting can visit their website by clicking here.
The other 40 Shih Tzus are at AHeinz57 in De Soto, Iowa.
