On May 3, my two poodles got into a fight, and I was bitten several times on both arms and had to go to the emergency room. It had to be reported to animal control, and our little dogs had to be quarantined for 10 days.
The sergeant asked me to come by and look at their quarantine building before putting them in a private one. I agreed but told him that I first had to take them to our vet and get them a kennel shot. He told me that it wasn’t required there. So I agreed. It looked very clean, and they assured me that they would take good care of them.
I didn’t go see them because I would have been upset all over again, and I didn’t want to see them beg to go home.
They had them 11 days because they’re closed Sunday and Monday. But they agreed to let us have them at 3 p.m. Monday if we paid for them before then, which we did. They were just cleaning at 3 p.m. and feeding.
What we found was a horrible smelling place. They stunk, and one bed we didn’t even bring home because it had dried poop in it. The other bed and bedding had to go straight to the washer, and they had to be bathed right away. They smelled just like the place did.
But that’s not the worst part. My dogs were sick – coughing, sneezing. One couldn’t stand up straight and would fall over, and they both had lost several pounds.
I took them to the vet and learned they both had kennel cough, which is contagious. When they weren’t getting any better, the sickest one was tested for distemper, and it came back positive.
They both have that. One is better and may fight it off. The other one may not. My heart is broken when I think of the 11 days of hell they went through and are still going through.
Please be sure if you have to quarantine a dog that they have kennel and distemper shots. It will save you a lot of money and heartache.
Jonnie Griffeth
Decatur
Let’s put the blame where it belongs Ms. Griffeth. It is with dog owners like you who do not vaccinate their dogs, nor do they spay or neuter. They also do not contain their dogs in safe environments. If your dog had been up to date on shots they would not have needed to be quarantined. I feel you had no choice because I know my vet will not board a dog without up to date shots. As far as the shelter, I have been there and know the quarantine area is in the same building as the stray dogs. Kennel cough and distemper are both contagious and can travel in the air. And why the sergeant told you a kennel cough shot was not necessary is very questionable, because he is wrong. The shelter needs a separate building for quantine. The smell from night to day can accummulate very rapidly. After cleaning with bleach it is not so bad..they clean all day. With airborne diseases it is very hard for unvaccinated dogs to escape sickness, especially puppies. I beleive the workers are doing everything they can to prevent this, as they have learned some new ways to clean. But the blame is with bad pet owners, who need to take proper care of their pets. I truly hope your dogs recover from their sickness and others will learn from this preventable tragedy. BTW the shelter is constantly full..many are put to death..because the humane race has failed them. If you can’t care for a dog, don’t get one!
Jonnie sorry you and your dogs have gone through this horrible experience. The sergeant should have known better, and advised you to go ahead and get the shots. Hope both your dogs recover, and are well soon.