ROANOKE, Va. – Staff at the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection in Roanoke said they’re treating all of their dogs for a respiratory illness, so they can’t take any more animals right now.
There are about a hundred dogs under the weather, and staff said they’re working harder than ever to try to control the spread.
“They’ll be coughing, sneezing, they just don’t feel themselves,” Director of Operations at RCACP Melinda Rector said.
She said the dogs had been hit by an upper respiratory infection that required vet treatment. Rector said the illness does not spread from dogs to humans.
However, shelter staff warn local dog owners to stay aware.
“You absolutely need to be making sure that you’re taking care of your animal at home,” Rector said. “When you’re going on walks, don’t go up to dogs that you don’t know.”
Rector said two infected dogs brought the illness into the shelter. Now, they’ve paused intake.
“If you find a dog that’s loose, try to hold onto it and try to find the owner,” Rector said. “You’re welcome to call us and let us know that you found it. You can bring it by here, and we can check for a microchip. We don’t want to put any new animals into this situation because they will get sick.”
They’ll only take dogs in emergency situations if they’ve bitten or been aggressive. They encourage anyone interested in fostering a dog right now to call them.
Shelter staff said the illness usually lasts about two weeks, and hopefully, they’ll be back to normal operations soon.
