Watsonville animal shelter temporarily closes due to “contagious disease” risk for pets

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter says they are temporarily closing their Watsonville location due to “health concerns” from a few of their animals that have the potential to spread. “The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS), under the guidance of shelter Veterinarian Dr. Maris Brenn-White, has made the difficult decision to temporarily close its Watsonville shelter location due to a confirmed case of canine parvovirus and a confirmed case of feline panleukopenia,” said a shelter spokesperson. The Watsonville shelter will be closed until at least Tuesday, Oct. 29.A case of parvovirus was detected in a stray puppy that arrived on Oct. 18. Two kittens were found with feline panleukopenia on Tuesday.These are highly contagious diseases that pose a serious risk to the health of animals. They can prove fatal to unvaccinated puppies and kittens and can “spread rapidly through direct contact and contaminated surfaces,” per the shelter. The shelter is taking steps to stop the spread at the Watsonville location and Santa Cruz location. Animals at the Watsonville shelter are being evaluated and quarantined until medically cleared to be moved to the Santa Cruz shelter. “Meanwhile, the shelter is undergoing a thorough cleaning and disinfection process, and the Watsonville location will be reopened once we are confident it is safe for animals, staff, and visitors,” said a shelter spokesperson. Per adoptions and taking in more pets will not be allowed at the Watsonville location during the closure. Through October, all adoption fees are reduced as part of the “Spooky Low Adoption Fees” at the Santa Cruz Shelter. Dogs and cats are $31 and small pets are $13. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter has suggested ways to help this during this time:Donations: Financial support helps cover additional medical costs for screening and titer testing, plus extra cleaning supplies, PPE and other operational needs during this time.Foster Homes: For those able to provide temporary care for medically cleared animals, fostering reduces the number of animals currently in the shelter which allows staff more time to care for higher-risk and higher-needs animals and to undertake additional deep-cleaning and sanitation. Spread Awareness: Inform other pet owners about the importance of vaccinations for dogs (against parvovirus) and cats (against feline panleukopenia) to help prevent further outbreaks in the community and the shelter. Have your pet(s) vaccinated: If you have a pet, you MUST inform yourself about needed vaccinations and make that investment in protecting your pets’ health and safety. To help pet owners with limited incomes, The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter provides Healthy Pets for All vaccine clinics (the next one is Friday, October 25 in Felton).