Okay, by now you may have heard the "state of emergency" of Miami Dade Animal Services, the county shelter that has been the target of many news releases lately. This would only add to that long list of issues that concern the citizens of Miami, and outrage the local animal advocate groups that have been targeting the shelter director, Sara Pizano. On March 24th, a press release from the shelter manager, Xiomara Mordcovich hit the news, and circulated the web, about an epidemic of distemper, a disease found in dogs, and often cats, that is highly contagious, and left untreated, deadly! It effects the neurological system of the animals and cause them epilepsy, seizures, and it makes them very ill. They begin losing motor skills, run high fevers, and it causes them to oddly twitch. In essence, often the best thing to do for the animal showing signs of the disease, is humane euthanasia, but as I mentioned it can be treated.
In the press release, studies showed more than 50 dogs tested positive for distemper! The best thing that the shelter could do is close it's doors! People cannot contract the illness, but they can carry the disease on their clothes and transfer it to other pets. The best preventative, is of course early vaccinations, and annual boosters are a good way to keep your beloved pet from harvesting the disease. Other ways to safeguard them against distemper, is quarantine new pets you welcome into your home! As an extra precaution, you can always have your veterinarian do a blood panel to test for it as well. Plain and simple, be a responsible dog owner!
Unfortunately, the downside to closing the shelter is that the animals left inside have been potentially exposed! The thoughts of the director reflect that she will euthanize them all to rid the shelter of the disease, and then completely disinfect the shelter walls in it's entirety! How many animals might that be? 250 dogs, 60 cats, give or take. Wow! That seem like an extreme measure for so many to be culled. No one wants to hear of a "mass-killing" taking place within their community, especially of cute puppies! So of course, this started a media frenzy! Rescue groups have stepped up their efforts in order to save some lives! Calling upon the public to help in any way possible, whether it be through donations, fostering temporarily, or just plain adopting them once they are pulled from MDAS. This again, is good and bad...I am all for saving animals lives, but does the average person really know what they might be getting into when caring for a sick pet? Minus the expenses that could easily accumulate, what about the tireless efforts of keeping this dog alive? It goes beyond your basic TLC, and there are no guarantees. So what about the heartache after weeks of vet care and love, when the animals weak body still succumbs to the illness? It's devastating. I hate to sound like I am on the side of the shelter, but I hate even more, hearing of the heart-breaking stories of someone who tried so hard and feels like a failure because the animal didn't survive. In this particular case, it would be only be the fault of the Sara Pizano for releasing these infected pets back out into the community!
She should close the shelter doors to quarantine the dogs and cats inside, but not order to euthanize them while being there. In fact, this would give them sufficient time to thoroughly clean, sanitize, disinfect, and kill the bacteria, germs, and viral diseases lurking in the cracks and crevices of the facility; but in this same time they should also stop all euthanasia unless it deemed necessary. This would allow for the disease to break if found in certain dogs, treat them, and keep them isolated. Not every dog will be positive, so why is Pizano so quick to kill? One will never know.
If you would like to help in any way, shape, or form, please contact us as soon as possible! As I will post this on our FB page too, we encourage all the sharing, cross-posting, and exposure about the subject at hand to get the word out!! We have many rescue partnerships in Miami, so as quick as the touch of a button, funds can be shared and transferred to cover the vetting expenses, and pull fees to help the ones left behind. At least with rescue groups, I can trust they are familiar with distemper and know the procedures in handling each case individually.
Together we can save one life at a time! Help make the difference before it's too late, please donate! Thank you!
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