LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One dog is dead and another 17 are infected after an outbreak of respiratory illness at The Animal Foundation, shelter officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The Animal Foundation announced the outbreak and halted dog adoptions on Monday. In an update shared Tuesday, they say the illness was identified on Sept. 28 after a fostered dog had to be euthanized due to the severity of its illness.
Diagnostic tests on the sick dog revealed it was infected with Strep Zoo and Canine pneumovirus.
"We immediately notified anyone who had left our facility with a dog who had likely been in contact with the sick dog," officials said. "Dogs at the shelter who had been exposed to the sick dog were placed in quarantine and separated from the rest of the shelter population."
The shelter's veterinary team are closely monitoring dogs and have submitted more diagnostic tests to the lab, officials said.
"No animals have been euthanized because of this and all 17 dogs have been started on a series of antibiotics," they stated.
Officials say Strep Zoo is an upper respiratory infection "prevalent in even healthy animals," but symptoms usually only show up when an animal's immune system is compromised.
Canine pneumovirus is said to be "highly contagious to dogs." A preventative vaccine does not exist for the virus, and dogs do not have a natural immunity to it, TAF officials noted.
For the time being, the shelter will continue its halt on dog adoptions "out of an abundance of caution," they said.
"At this time, we do not know how long dog adoptions will be paused. It depends on when we get the tests back and what the results say," according to The Animal Foundation.
Cats, small mammals, and exotic animals can still be adopted from the shelter.
The illness outbreak and resulting pause on adoptions comes after the shelter issued a plea for community members to foster animals to help relieve pressure on the struggling organization.
13 Investigates previously exposed allegations of animal cruelty and a shelter in crisis at The Animal Foundation.
IN-DEPTH: Former Animal Foundation COO says prior warnings of crisis at shelter fell on deaf ears
Funded in part by taxpayer money, The Animal Foundation is facing a storm of criticism and scrutiny from the public and local officials. Executives were put on notice that the shelter violated its contract with the City of Las Vegas, followed by a mass resignation of eight employees.
