Daytona's Halifax Humane Society temporarily suspends services due to ill dogs
Adoptions and other services at Halifax Humane Society have been suspended temporarily after dogs with upper respiratory infections were brought into the shelter, an official said Thursday.
The Daytona Beach-based animal shelter is working with the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and following their disease outbreak protocol, Vershurn Ford, the shelter's chief outreach/development officer, said in a news release.
Dogs currently in the shelter are being placed in quarantine, Ford said, and the facility is closed to the following services until further notice:
Adoptions
Intake of strays
Intake of owner-surrenders
Boarding and grooming services
Strays that are sick, hurt or pose a public safety risk will be kept in an area separate from the quarantined dogs, Ford said.
The shelter is asking that people report strays by calling 386-317-2280.
Contagious but treatable
Upper respiratory infections are highly contagious in dogs just as they are in people.
These infections spread easily among dogs when they cough, sneeze or have nose-to-nose contact, according to the American Kennel Club.
Similarly, dogs also have a high recovery rate with rest and medical treatment.
Symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in a dog can include, according to veterinarians:
Sneezing
Coughing that sounds like a goose honk
Coughing up foamy saliva
Eye discharge
Fatigue
Lack of appetite
Fever
Depending on the type of viral or bacterial pathogens, it can take a couple of days to a couple of months for these pathogens to stop being contagious on surfaces, according to the AKC.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Halifax Humane Society temporarily suspends services due to sick dogs
