Humane Society of North Texas cancels mega pet adoption event due to distemper worries

FORT WORTH, Texas - The Humane Society of North Texas' mega pet adoption event at the Will Rogers Memorial Center later this month has been postponed.

The organization said it's waiting for test results relating to a highly contagious and fatal disease known as distemper.

According to officials, a few dogs have already tested positive.

Certain areas of the humane society's facilities are in complete isolation due to the distemper outbreak, including dog adoptions and intake. 

The human society said positive test results are coming back every day. Right now, 40 of the humane society's dogs have tested positive for distemper.

It’s a highly contagious disease without a cure, however, it is preventable if a dog is vaccinated.

The virus attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous system of dogs. Cats and humans are not affected.

The medical staff at the humane society said the problem is pets come into the shelter as surrenders or strays and they are not vaccinated. 

But while the humane society vaccinates upon intake, some of the animals are already carriers of distemper.

Distemper can travel airborne or through bodily fluids, causing the disease to spread like wildfire. 

And it's not just isolated to puppies at the humane society. There are also senior dogs who are deathly ill.

"We are steaming rice and boiling chicken and our staff are hand feeding our dogs that are sick, which is why I think our staff is so taxed because you get so attached to these pets only to see a decline. We are too soon into this to see what they outcome of their lives will be," said Cassie Davidson, communications director, for the Humane Society of North Texas.

The staff is working 15 to 16 hour days on the 350 dogs in their shelters, and they are hoping to contain the spread of the disease as much as they can. All staff are following full PPE protocols.

Dog adoptions and intake are closed, but the humane society’s clinic and cat adoptions are both open.

For those wanting to help, the humane society is accepting donations, including money, as well as blankets or towels. 

And their number one piece of advice is to get pets vaccinated.