Pr. George’s closes shelter to public, suspends adoptions over outbreak

“As we are seeing an uptick of this disease strike shelters nationwide, we are acting out of an abundance of caution to help stop the spread of this disease,” David Fisher, associate director of the county’s Department of Animal Services, said in a release. “The best place for a dog to be at this time is in a home being watched carefully by their owner.”

Linda Lowe, public information officer for the county’s Department of the Environment, told The Washington Post that more veterinarians will be on-site Friday to conduct additional tests on the dogs. Lowe didn’t specify how many dogs are affected by the closure or what kind of symptoms they’re showing.

Tests for respiratory illnesses typical in dogs have so far yielded negative test results, she added.

The announcement of Prince George’s County’s animal shelter temporarily closing dog adoptions comes after the American Veterinary Medical Foundation said last month that veterinarians in multiple states have seen cases of canine infectious respiratory disease complex. The number of cases nationwide is unknown, the AVMF said, but officials in Colorado, New Hampshire and Oregon are collaborating with state and federal veterinary diagnostic laboratories to find the root cause of the illness.

Prince George’s County will focus on stopping the spread. The illness, the agency said, hasn’t spread from dogs to any other animals in the facility.

The county’s Animals Services Facility and Adoption Center advise pet owners to limit visits to dog parks, doggy day cares, groomers and other public places where dogs interact with each other.