PIMA COUNTY, (Feb. 10, 2025) – Pima Animal Care Center is implementing proactive measures to assure the dog population in the shelter is safe from the current distemper outbreak in the community. One step being taken is that PACC is revaccinating all the dogs in its shelter after one dog in its care tested positive for the disease.
Canine distemper is a contagious and serious disease caused by the canine distemper virus. The virus attacks dogs' respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems.
The shelter’s admissions team will use its parking lot to vaccinate all incoming dogs for distemper and strays scheduled to be relinquished. Owners and finders will be asked to keep the animal for at least three days to give the vaccine its best chance to work.
As a precaution, PACC will temporarily restrict playgroups to small cohorts of animals. Staff will also identify available areas if isolation spaces are needed.
“While distemper can be fatal, it’s also a relatively easy virus to kill if caught early,” said PACC Director Steve Kozachik. “Vaccines are effective and the protocols we are implementing will put us into the best position to avoid seeing the community issue spread to our population.”
All adopters or fosters will be offered medication for their PACC pet and any other dogs in their care. Owners should ensure all pets they have at home have been vaccinated against distemper, as this is the most effective measure to prevent infection.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, all dogs are at risk of canine distemper. Those at particular risk include puppies younger than four months and dogs that have not been vaccinated against the canine distemper virus.
If your animals are not vaccinated, don’t take them to public spaces such as dog parks. Owners should also avoid areas where their pets may encounter urban wildlife, such as javelinas and coyotes.