Okay, hard subject time: there a lot of issues with the way dog rescue in the US works, and one of the biggest current symptoms of it is showing up as contagious disease. This is really important to be aware of if you’re thinking about adopting dogs rescued from Harvey, Irma, or Maria.
Basically, the problem is that in the rush to rescue animals, appropriate protocols for preventing disease transmission often get circumvented or skipped. Animals aren’t quarantined for as long as they should be to make sure they’re not sick. The puppies in the article linked above were vaccinated for distemper but not quarantined to make sure they weren’t already sick; the vets ended up signing off on the import of animals sick with a super contagious viral disease. Not only are those dogs now dying, but they’ve spread a really contagious disease everywhere they were taken that could risk the lives of un-vaccinated or immuno-compromised dogs in the new location. I’ve seen this even in non-disaster times – the shelter I used to volunteer at would get shipments of rescue dogs from the south that were supposedly healthy but frequently showed up with worms or giardia. It’s not just local transports too – a dog flu strain has been cropping up that that was brought over by rescued Korean meat dogs.
I found an article this morning that said people in Puerto Rico are starting to get sick from leptospirosis – a disease that can also effect dogs, and one that dogs aren’t always vaccinated for. Animals from P.R. are already up for adoption in many places in the United States, which is a little scary. Because it’s a US territory, the normal international quarantine protocols don’t apply (which requires vaccination and then a month long quarantine period). Normally that’s probably fine because it’s mostly pets and a few established organizations doing the importing, but in the wake of a disaster like Maria and considering the sheer number of animals people are deciding to import, I don’t have a lot of faith that proper disease prevention protocol is being followed 100%.
The point of this post: if you’re planning to adopt an animal from any rescue after these hurricanes, it’s really important to do due diligence and make sure the animals have been quarantined appropriately and gotten all the necessary vaccinations. Not all rescue places will skimp on following protocol, but make sure you check to make sure the one you use is thorough.
(I also have to add a non-animal note: we’ve already brought multiple shipments of puppies into the US from P.R for the warm fuzzies that comes with rescuing animals from disaster situation, and animal rights organizations are campaigning to import the zoo animals from P.R. into US sanctuaries, but the people who live on the island are still desperate for assistance. I think those priorities are utterly backwards. If you’re going to adopt an animal from P.R., please also seriously consider donating the amount you pay to adopt the animal to the humanitarian relief funds for the people who live there.)
Vt. families devastated as dogs from disaster zones start dying
BettSplendens Tumblr Evac 