How horribly sad! Let’s hope this can be prevented in the future!
Thanks to the Chicago Sun-Times for this news.
Activists enraged as shelter forced to kill 1,000 dogs, cats
February 18, 2007LAS VEGAS — An outbreak of contagious diseases at a shelter where officials admit they kept animals for too long without destroying them has forced the killing of about 1,000 dogs and cats, officials said.
Visiting inspectors from the Humane Society of the United States discovered the outbreak of the diseases — distemper and parvovirus in dogs and panleukopenia in cats — said Mark Fierro, spokesman for Lied Animal Shelter.
The mass culling, which began Feb. 9, is thought to be the largest in the city’s history and has prompted shelter officials to change their methods of caring for animals.
Animal rights activists said they were outraged.
”It’s unforgivable in light of the fact that it was absolutely preventable,” said Holly Stoberski, legal counsel for Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary, which has worked with Lied to find homes for impounded animals. ”They were not properly vaccinating the dogs and cats.”
The shelter reopened Friday. Fierro said the shelter will vaccinate animals when they arrive and will keep those considered adoptable alive up to 120 days. Old or sick animals deemed unfit for adoption will be euthanized after 72 hours.
