The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter will temporarily close its Watsonville location after confirming a case of canine parvovirus and two cases of feline panleukopenia. The shelter is expected to be closed until at least Oct. 29, according to a statement released by the organization.
The shelter confirmed the case of canine parvovirus — a highly contagious viral disease that often causes gastrointestinal illness in puppies — in a stray puppy on Oct. 18. In addition, two kittens were confirmed to have feline panleukopenia — a disease that decreases the number of all white blood cells in the body — on Tuesday.
Both diseases are life-threatening — especially to unvaccinated puppies and kittens — and are highly contagious. The shelter, located on Airport Boulevard, has paused its dog intake to undergo quarantine and special cleaning measures.
Shelters have a high risk for these types of diseases because unvaccinated animals can acquire infections but not show symptoms until days later, and testing is sometimes ineffective in identifying the disease, according to the statement by the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter.
The Santa Cruz shelter location will remain open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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