Animal shelter procedure: how are vaccinations handled?

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - According to officials, the 49 dogs that were euthanized  January 28 at the Mobile County Animal Shelter had been vaccinated. 

Shelter officials said one dog had a deadly contagious disease known as distemper  and therefore all animals that shared the same kennel and play area had to be put down.

FOX10 checked out the vaccination procedures for dogs at the animal shelter.

When a dog is brought into the Mobile County Animal Shelter, officials said they perform a complete examination.

Officials said the animals are weighed, photographed and scanned for a microchip. If the dog is suitable for adoption, meaning it doesn’t have any medical issues and it’s not aggressive, it’s given a vaccine and dewormed.

Animal Resource Supervisor Andrew Stubbs said the shelter uses the Duramune Max Dog 5-1 vaccine, which covers distemper.

After the animal is vaccinated, Stubbs said it receives a booster shot every two weeks. He said if the animal is less than six months old, it does not receive a vaccine. Instead, it just receives a booster shot every two weeks.

Officials believe the dog with distemper was about a year and a half old.

“If he came in on January 2, he was vaccinated and dewormed and then he is placed in kennel B for a seven day hold. If everything is okay for those seven days, he is then moved to kennel A,” Stubbs said.

Stubbs said kennel A is the adoption kennel, and it’s protocol that all dogs are vaccinated and placed in kennel B for a holding period before being moved to kennel A.

Officials said the dog with distemper was in kennel A, ready to be adopted, when it started showing signs of the disease.

FOX10 asked why the shelter euthanized the 49 dogs in kennel A that had already had the vaccine.

Stubbs said, “Due to safety precautions, we do not want to adopt out sick animals to the public, especially if we know one dog in our kennel possibly has distemper.”

He said the vaccine is not fool proof, just a precaution, and the shelter normally does not test the animals because tests can be expensive.

A distemper test for example ranges from $80-$125 according to officials.   

Stubbs believes the diseased dog came in with traits of distemper, and the virus took over the dog’s system before the vaccine. He said all kennel A animals share the same play area and because distemper is an airborne virus, the animals don’t have to have direct contact to contract the disease.

“If we held those 49 dogs in kennel A, what are we going to do with the other hundred animals that we have in kennels B, C, and D? What are we going to do with those? We would have to stop taking animals in from the public,” said Stubbs. “What are we going to do with animals that are being a public nuisance?  All those factors have to be taken into play to make a decision in what you’re going to do with them.”

The shelter is still waiting for the test results from the dog with distemper.

Stubbs said he encourages people to take all adopted animals to a vet post-adoption for a full examination.

Officials said the SPCA took all adoptable cats from the shelter prior to the distemper case and they said no cats were euthanized.

What happens to dogs that have medial issues?

Stubbs said if shelter employees determine the dog is not suitable for adoption due to a medial issue like hip problems, skin problems, or any other problems, it is placed in kennel C, and information is sent out to rescue organizations. Stubb said the organization or group has a time limit to pick the dogs up, and he said 90 percent of the animals are rescued.

What happens to dogs that are aggressive?

Officials said animals that have a history of aggression and are held in kennel C for 10 days for observation. If the owner doesn’t pick the animals up after 10 days, the shelter euthanizes the animal and sends it to a lab for rabies tests.

Stubbs said if the observation period goes well, the dog will be vaccinated and placed in kennel B for holding to monitor the dog before it’s placed into the adoption kennel.