CORNWALL, Ont. – As parvovirus plagues the dog population in Cornwall, the SD&G SPCA is taking a proactive approach to battle the deadly canine disease.
The line of pet owners snaked outside the Agora Centre during the free parvovirus vaccination clinic on Saturday (March 19).
“We needed to do something. It’s a highly contagious virus and a lot of dogs end up dying from the lack of a simple vaccination,” said SD&G SPCA inspector Bonnie Bishop. “Last year, we dealt with 70 positive cases of parvo, in addition to cases from local veterinarians.”
The SD&G SPCA targeted ‘parvovirus hot spots’ around the city with pamphlets days before the clinic, mainly south of Montreal Road. The participants will have to return in three weeks with their pooches for a second round of shots.
In 2014, parvo swept across the city keeping pet owners on high alert. One Cornwall animal hospital had reported seeing dozens of puppies with early symptoms of the virus.
According to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), parvovirus is a serious and potentially fatal condition that attacks the gastrointestinal tract and immune system of puppies and dogs, causing severe vomiting and diarrhea.
More to come.