Fort Worth animal shelters remain closed after canine distemper outbreak

FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth city officials said care and concern are leading the efforts to control an outbreak of canine distemper within its animal services department.

What we know:

The city closed its Chuck and Brenda Silox Adoption Center and the North Alliance Animal Campus to visitors.

"We want to help mitigate some of the spread, and so we closed down both of our shelters to the public," Brenda Matute said.

Officials have also notified everyone who has adopted or started fostering a dog for the locations in the past two weeks.

What they're saying:

"So we've asked all of our fosters to bring in their animals for PCR testing, and we're doing that from the parking lot of our shelters, again because we don't want anyone inside if none have tested positive, but if they do, we are intaking them and evaluating them with our medical staff," Matute said.

The potentially fatal condition for dogs was discovered around March 22.

The outbreak has led to 17 dogs being euthanized.

Officials are stressing the importance of vaccinations for pets and extending education and awareness.

A handmade sign outside a Fort Worth animal shelter alerts the public that the shelter is closed on March 28, 2025.

What is canine distemper?

Dig deeper:

Canine distemper is a virus that attacks a dog's respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems.

While all dogs are at risk of distemper, puppies younger than four months old and dogs that have not been vaccinated are at a higher risk.

The virus can also infect ferrets, foxes, wolves, raccoons and skunks. Cats can also be infected but are unlikely to get sick.

What are the symptoms of canine distemper?

The virus begins by attacking a dog's immune system.

It then spreads to the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems leading to some or all of the following symptoms:

• Discharge from the nose and eyes
• Fever
• Coughing
• Lethargy
• Reduced appetite
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

The dog may show the following neurological symptoms when the virus attacks the nervous system:

• Walking in circles, unable to follow a straight path
• Head tilt
• Lack of coordination
• Muscle twitches
• Convulsions with jaw-chewing movements
• Seizures
• Partial or complete paralysis

What you can do:

Officials warn owners that see any unusual behavior in their pets to reach out for guidance right away.