The city of Gary confirmed “isolated cases of canine parvovirus” at its animal shelter in a Saturday statement.
As of May 15, no animals at the facility exhibited symptoms consistent with parvovirus, according to a statement from the city.
“We are continuing to closely monitor all animals, and the facility will remain under strict observation for 14 days following the last known exposure date of May 14,” the statement said. “We thank the community, our rescue partners, and local veterinary professionals for their ongoing support and collaboration as we navigate this situation.”
Police Chief Derrick Cannon confirmed in a Monday email that no animals have shown signs of parvovirus.
On April 17, two Pitbull mixes named Laverne and Shirley were brought to the Gary Animal Control facility, where they received standard vaccinations. Less than a week later, both dogs showed signs of a decreased appetite, and Shirley was euthanized on April 27.
Laverne was transferred to DASH — a Gary-based organization that works with the shelter — and she tested positive for parvovirus. Cannon said in an email that DASH helped with rehabilitation, and Laverne has been adopted.
On May 6, a Husky and Pomeranian mix named Hamilton displayed a decreased appetite and was transported to Hobart Animal Clinic and tested positive for parvovirus. He was transported to DASH, which helped with rehabilitation, and he’s now in foster care, according to an email from Cannon.
Two animals with direct exposure to Hamilton were humanely euthanized on May 15, according to the Gary statement.
“To provide context regarding the scope of these incidents: between April 17 and May 6, Gary Animal Control completed intake for an additional 38 dogs,” the statement said. “None of those 38 dogs have experienced symptoms consistent with parvovirus, nor have they tested positive.”
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, parvovirus is a “highly contagious disease” that attacks white blood cells and the gastrointestinal tract of dogs, coyotes, wolves and foxes. The virus can also damage the heart muscle in puppies.
Parvovirus can present bloody diarrhea, vomiting and extreme lethargy.
“However, the dogs involved in these specific cases exhibited atypical presentations — primarily a loss of appetite, which is a common occurrence in shelter environments due to stress,” the Gary statement said. “At no point were bloody diarrhea or vomiting documented in these cases.”
The city “implemented rigorous additional protocols to handle suspected or confirmed” parvovirus exposure, according to its statement, including intensive sanitation, intake quarantine, enhanced monitoring and intake limitations.
All dogs now undergo behavioral and physical assessments twice a day to monitor appetite, stool quality, vomiting, lethargy and other symptoms. Newly admitted dogs undergo a five-day monitoring period in their kennels to watch for signs of illness.
Animal shelter staff also deep clean and disinfect kennels, including empty cages, according to the city. They are also restricting admission of puppies and dogs without “recent, verifiable vaccination history whenever possible.”
