A mysterious new disease may be emerging in canines. This past February, dogs from two different Florida animal shelters were stricken with an unidentified illness. The illness came on suddenly and in the case of the Miami-Dade Animal Shelter, resulted in the violent death of the dogs; their lungs and abdomens full of bloody fluid.
The Director of Animal Services at the Miami-Dade Animal Shelter, Dr. Sara Pizano, believes the fatalities are the result of a new disease. “It’s not a normal infectious disease for a shelter – it’s well beyond that so we think we’re looking at a new emerging disease.” Officials are unsure as to whether or not the illness is a mutation of an existing disease or a new pathogen altogether.
While the mysterious new illness has afflicted dogs in Florida, it may only be a matter of time before the disease spreads to other areas. Social pressure to spay and neuter along with new mandatory spay/neuter laws have left many animal shelters without dogs and puppies to adopt out, forcing them to import dogs from out of state.
Mystery Disease Killing Dogs In South Florida
Posted by at June 8, 2008 06:36 AM