http://www.keysnet.com/2013/04/17/486412/animal-shelter-quarantined-director.html
"There were animals that were brought in that were sick and quarantine procedures were not followed," said Sheila Cook, president of the board of Safe Harbor Animal Rescue of the Keys, which operates the shelter under a contract with Monroe County.
Bentley said it appears a Labrador mix the shelter took in from Dogs on the Move, a Miami rescue group, was the animal that spread the kennel cough. It's been diagnosed with pneumonia.
She also said there was no quarantine procedure in place because the shelter is basically one large long room. There are 30 to 35 dogs there now. She said she separated cages using roofing material.
"I apologized if that was the dog that brought the kennel cough," she said. "It was about a month ago. I told this group I could no longer accept animals from this rescue group."
Dr. Mike Dunn, a veterinarian who's a nonvoting member of the SHARK board, declined to speak about whether Bentley handled the situation correctly, but said the spread of kennel cough is a real fear.
"It's really, really contagious between dogs," he said. "Like kids at school, one kid comes in with something and then it seeps through the classroom."
He said kennel cough -- technically called tracheal bronchitis -- is rarely fatal but if it spreads, countless dogs could be affected. That's why the shelter is not adopting animals out or accepting animals for likely a month and a half.
"It could run through the entire town," Dunn said. "It's less than a 5 percent mortality rate. But you'd hate for 5 percent of dogs in Marathon to die from it."
The transporters and their fodder feeders could care less that they transport diseased animals and that those diseased animals are putting our pets at risk. Regulate these transports, vet those transported animals, stop patting yourselves on the back because you don't deserve it. You aren't saving lives with these transports, you are sending more into areas already suffering with an overpopulation. You are immoral and unethical when you transport into those areas.
Correct me if I am ill informed, but are the transporters required to have some sort of a health certificate from a veterinarian, stating they are healthy?
ReplyDeleteIf they did have these certificates, couldn't the vet be liable?
Only the State of Connecticut has addressed this specifically. Otherwise these transports should fall under the jurisdiction of the Ag Dept. on transporting in quantity. But no one is regulating it. Shelters should be able to require info on where the dogs go via vetting per Ag. dept. regulations. This piece has a cut/paste article about the illegal transports by Brenda Barnette to Seattle from Kern. WA does have a law but no one heeds it. If you know of transports and a schedule, you can report to the Ag dept or report it here with a Not for Publication comment. I will make sure it is handled.
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KC nay not have been affecting the dogs at the vet, at that time, but they were in early stages of it. Dogs need to be quarantined from all other external dogs. All dogs on a transport will likely get it, EVEN WITH shots! Shots are mostly worthless and seem to only lessen the duration, at best. KC easily turns into pneumonia in some dogs, especially older dogs - the ones that are more susceptable to it, also most shelter dogs are no a full health of fight it off from the getgo. On the other hand if transporters need to follow any goofy gov regs, even more dogs will die. Shelters need a protocol as do rescues moving dogs. Keep it locally controlled with proper protocols.Hold people accountable.
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