KAR in ‘lockdown’, killer virus strikes
KYRENIA Animal Rescue (KAR) was in a state of “lockdown” yesterday after revealing that scores of dogs and puppies have fallen victim to a killer virus.
“Devastated” KAR chiefs took the drastic action at the charity’s Arapköy rescue centre after around 80 dogs there died from canine distemper — with another 300 said to be at risk. The charity made an urgent appeal for “desperately needed” donations yesterday, via its Karakum office, as it sought to deal with its biggest such crisis since being formed in 1997. Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease among dogs, but is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms, such as a runny nose and fever, can be similar to other diseases.
Pet owners were also urged to monitor their dogs for possible signs of the illness.
KAR’s Kim Betts said the first deaths had occurred around five weeks ago, when staff
arrived at work one morning to find a litter of puppies that had been left at the Arapköy kennels.
“They were automatically health checked and put into a quarantined area,” she said. “It was not long before staff noticed that one puppy was snuffling and coughing. He was monitored carefully and the next day he had a fever and so was taken to a local vet.
“Distemper is not the first usual illness that vets here check for — there are many other illnesses here that can initially have the same symptoms — and the puppy was treated for other illnesses.
“His condition . . . further deteriorated over a period of time and the vet’s advice was sought. At that point, it came to light that there had been a recent case of a dog with distemper in the Girne area.
“So the puppy was tested and the result was positive. The puppy was put to sleep and staff were advised to keep a close eye on the siblings. It was not long before they too became ill [with] distemper. The whole litter sadly was euthanised.”
Ms Betts said at that point staff believed that “that was the end of the problem” but that further cases of canine distemper began to appear in other compounds within the KAR centre, including among dogs destined for new homes abroad.
“Staff were arriving in the mornings to find dogs had died overnight — it has been heart-breaking for them,” she added.
Ms Betts yesterday confirmed that “every compound at KAR has suffered from the disease” despite the best efforts of local vet Niyazi Çelebi, staff and volunteers.
“KAR are now . . . in lockdown,” she said. “No animal can be accepted at the rescue centre and no dogs are leaving the centre. No dogs are sadly available for homing at the moment.”
Ms Betts said KAR had ordered emergency supplies of a “heavy-duty vaccination along with supplies of intravenous vitamin C” following advice from an expert in Turkey, as part of a “massive programme” to try and save the remaining 300 dogs.
“We do not want to lose any more [dogs],” she added, “but we feel that it may be inevitable. But we have to try and give them all the best chance of survival that we can.”
It is believed distemper may also have been behind a number of deaths at a dog shelter in İskele which led animal lover Barry Miller to write on Facebook on Wednesday that he was “finished” with the compound after coming across dead dogs and another “dying in great distress” during a visit last weekend.