Dog adoption at NRG shelter postponed after outbreak
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- About 35 percent of dogs at NRG Arena's makeshift Hurricane Harvey shelter are now confirmed or suspected to have distemper, according to the charity organization "Best Friends."
The virus is extremely contagious among dogs, so many have been placed in cordoned off areas.
"The number one factor in disease in shelter animals is always going to be how stressed they are," said Medical team leader Dr. Erin Katribe. "As you can imagine, the flood and the hurricane itself was very, very stressful for all of them and then being housed in an environment that's nothing like they're used to."
Among the 400 dogs at NRG arena, 120 are suspected to have distemper. Another 20 are confirmed to have the virus.
"We do think it was dogs that had distemper already before they arrived at our shelter." Dr. Katribe said. "They were just not showing signs yet. Unfortunately, there's a big gap of time between when they catch it to where they start to show signs."
A mass adoption event planned for October 14th has been postponed until the dogs get healthier.
If you are still searching for your dog after Hurricane Harvey, click here.
