Dallas Animal Services is temporarily scaling back its intake of stray dogs after confirming several cases of canine distemper at the city shelter.
For now, the shelter is only accepting dogs that are critically ill, injured, or pose an immediate danger to public safety. Officials say the move is a necessary step to contain the outbreak and protect both the animals in their care and the public.
Dogs already at the facility are being closely monitored, and those that may have been exposed are undergoing quarantine and testing.
In the meantime, Dallas Animal Services is asking residents to step up if they find a lost or stray dog. The shelter is encouraging the public to consider short-term fostering, reach out to local rescues, or use DAS’s “Surrender Prevention” resources, which offer guidance on how to safely reunite found pets with their owners without bringing them to the shelter.
Distemper affects a dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems and can spread through the air or shared items like water bowls or toys. Vaccination is the best defense, and DAS reminds all pet owners to keep their dogs up to date on their shots.
City officials say they’ll update the public as more information becomes available and hope to resume normal intake procedures as soon as it’s safe to do so.
For more details or to learn how you can help, visit BeDallas90.org.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube