SPCA distemper issue affecting Ellis County

ELLIS COUNTY – An item on the July 12 Ellis County Commissioners Court agenda will be addressed again this week regarding animal control and issues currently taking place because of the SPCA’s ongoing refusal to accept incoming animals due to a recent distemper outbreak.

The refusal is affecting the county’s ability to respond to animal control calls.

Ellis County Judge Todd Little said, “The Vice President of the SPCA of Texas visited commissioners’ court on Tuesday and informed us of a distemper outbreak in their local facilities.

The disease is not transmittable to humans, but they cannot risk exposing more of their animals, as this could endanger pets.”

The SPCA is expected to be back in commissioners court this week to outline more details regarding the outbreak.

The SPCA of Texas did re-open its animal shelter in Dallas for adoptions after being closed due to the canine distemper virus outbreak that began in early June. This re-opening is for adoptions only at this one location.

A statement from the SPCA of Texas read it is not able to take in animals, including those previously adopted, those surrendered by owners and non-emergency stray animals from unincorporated Dallas or Ellis County.

As of the beginning of July, over 175 dogs were tested and 24 dogs had tests come back positive for distemper.

Two weeks after testing all dogs exhibiting symptoms and isolating those that tested positive for CDV, the SPCA of Texas completed tests for all dogs in each of the three facilities affected by the outbreak.

Because up to half of all dogs infected with distemper are asymptomatic, this round of testing was critical to determine if any of the dogs in care are shedding the distemper virus without any observable symptoms.

At that time it was reported no further dogs tested positive at the Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in Dallas therefore allowing for the animal shelter to re-open to the public and all animals in the facility available for adoption, foster or transfer.

However, that was not the story in Ellis County.

Dogs at the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center and the Ellis County Animal Care Center tested positive, those with CDV were isolated for treatment and dogs at the two facilities are expected to be tested again after a two week waiting period.

“The SPCA estimates that it could take up to 20 days before they can accept strays again, although they are doing their best to facilitate foster homes for the animals they cannot accept,” Little concluded. “In the meantime, the Sheriff will only be able to respond to “nuisance” animals that may pose a danger.

“We appreciate the patience of the public as we continue to work with the SPCA to ensure that all their animals are healthy before proceeding with normal operations.”