Latest news with #Parvo
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kitten deaths raise questions about Clarksburg-based pet rescue
FAIRMONT — Around the middle of May, Brendalynn Rose's niece purchased a kitten from an adoption event in Clarksburg after her grandmother's cat passed away. But after only a few days, the kitten died. 'My mom kept saying, 'this kitten isn't as old as they're saying it is,'' Rose said. 'It was just so tiny, and obviously — probably shouldn't have been away from the mama. But my mom called me and told me, 'it's not really moving.' It's only been up twice since we bought it and it wouldn't eat. So they took it up to the vet, and they said it had Parvo. It ended up dying on the table while there.' Rose's kitten was one of eight kittens from the event that died shortly after their adoption. As a result, the Clarksburg-based rescue who organized the adoption, PupSavers Rescue, is the subject of outrage from members of the community who adopted the animals. Rose said after the kitten died, she reached out to the proprietor of Pupsavers Rescue, A.J. Springfield. She was told that a veterinarian out of Charleston had checked the animals before the event, and none of the kittens were found to be sick at the time. She said Springfield offered to give them another kitten, but declined to give Rose a refund. 'He was like, in the contract there's no refund,' Rose said. 'And I'm like, but in the contract, it doesn't say your cat comes with Parvo. Now, [my niece] is $120 out of a cat and I'm just $300 out of a vet bill trying to see what was going on. But yeah, they will not give me any records for the checkup these cats supposedly had. He won't give me the number to the vet that supposedly checked them.' Lexi Fetty shared a similar experience. On May 14, she adopted a kitten and named it BroDarius. However, while she was at the event she noticed the kittens up for adoption at the event were showing signs of distress, including runny feces. (Rose said her kitten also had diarrhea.) Fetty said they were told that runny stool was a normal reaction to a change in food, but Fetty noticed BroDarius also looked small and frail. She spent $150 for the adoption, but after 10 days, the kitten died. 'He showed no signs of illness other than the runny stool and symptoms previously listed above,' she said in an email statement. 'It was devastating to find him lifeless the next morning after a night of cuddles and purring.' After BroDarius passed, Fetty said she learned at least three other people had reported a similar incident that week. Janissa Hayes also learned from her vet that the kitten she adopted was not the three months old she was told, but closer to seven weeks. Hayes' kitten fortunately survived, after Hayes spent $800 on care. Fetty and Hayes said the rescue did not provide them with vet records. Fetty alleged a lack of proper veterinary care and evaluation prior to adoption. On May 28, PupSavers Rescue acknowledged the deaths through a post to the Fairmont Community Facebook Page. At the time, they said the cause of death was unknown, with the time frame between adoption and passing ranged from nearly two weeks to a few days. On a separate post, they confirmed a vet looked over the kittens while at the event. They pointed out there is no Parvo testing that can be done at a young age, especially when they're not showing any symptoms. However, late Thursday evening the veterinarian, who asked not to identify them, reached out to the Times West Virginian. 'The rescue's director, AJ Springfield, has been untruthfully using my name as a veterinarian that deemed the kittens healthy after a 'thorough physical exam,'' the vet said. 'That information is in no way true.' PupSavers Rescue quarantined the remaining kittens. The rescue declined to comment beyond what they posted on Facebook, but did leave one comment on a post asking for sources for this story. 'We aren't exactly hiding anything,' PupSavers wrote in their post. 'Every kitten that was adopted out has come straight from the shelter with their first shot and deworming. One of the shelter vets examined these kittens in person on Saturday at our last adoption event. The kittens that have died showed no symptoms of anything were fine and then died. We made a public post about this, but some people making comments about dead kittens didn't even adopt from us. We have been in touch with many local vets as well as our own. No one knows exactly what happened but none of the kittens that we have quarantined here have passed away.' They noted they offered a replacement kitten to one of the people who lost their kitten. PupSavers confirmed at least eight kittens had died. However, they said claims that multiple kittens died from panleukopenia was 'flat out untrue.' They said the only thing they could confirm was the presence of coccidia, which causes 'diarrhea with weight loss, dehydration, and (rarely) hemorrhage,' according to They also said some of the people who complained online had their kittens over two weeks and never sought vet care or contacted the rescue either. 'No rescue or Humane Society, shelter or otherwise, would knowingly adopt anything if there was even the slightest suggestion that there could be something wrong,' PupSavers wrote. 'This isn't anyone's fault — all we can do is be as transparent as we can and share the information as we receive it. At least we tried to assist the shelters and give these kittens hope and a chance at a home instead of euthanasia.' On June 5, PupSavers posted an update. They confirmed the presence of panleukopenia after a necropsy. The pointed out the difficulty of diagnosing the disease, because fecal swabs had come back negative. Only a necropsy revealed the virus after the animal died. Marion County Humane Society Director Jona Spatafore said panleukopenia is one of the scariest diseases to contract for kittens because of how contagious it is. Kittens are especially susceptible to it if the mother wasn't vaccinated for the virus, which is especially true for strays. As a result, a kitten has no immunity to the disease until a vaccination regimen starts once they're old enough. She also said kittens, and olders cats even, are sensitive to change. They can be perfectly healthy in a rescue or shelter environment, but pop up with a respiratory infection a few days after moving into a new place. Spatafore said new pet owners should call a veterinarian as soon as they adopt an animal as best practice, so the vet can establish a baseline. She also said pet owners should look for crust around the eyes and nose, ulcers in the mouth, and check to see if they look boney and if they have a runny stool. 'Are they playing, are they laying?' she said. 'It's not always best to pick the kittens laying there real calm because they might be real calm because they don't feel good.' She confirmed panleukopenia can't be tested for until an animal shows symptoms. She also urged potential adopters to ask for vet records and to ask what tests and vaccines the animal has had, as well as diet. Ashley Reed, scam coordinator at the West Virginia Attorney General's Office, said potential pet adopters should research the seller or organization through the Better Business Bureau, and check with the Secretary of State's Office for Business Licensing. The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division can also check if their office has received complaints about a business. They also recommended reading reviews from third party sources. 'If someone is scammed, a seller doesn't come through as promised, or, as in this unfortunate situation, the animals don't survive — they can report that to our consumer protection division,' Kallie Moore, a spokesperson with the Attorney General's office said. 'That number is 1-800-368-8808.' Pupsavers denying refunds was a major source of anger. Spatafore is no stranger to these situations, which are an unfortunate part of working in animal welfare. She said in these kinds of situations, she refunds the money and offers a replacement kitten. But after what happened, a replacement kitten is the last thing some people wanted. 'My mom's traumatized,' Rose said. 'She cried and cried and cried. She can't. He offered us another cat, and she absolutely wants nothing to do with it.'
STV News
22-05-2025
- Health
- STV News
'Highly contagious' dog disease confirmed at surgery as puppies at risk
A case of a 'highly contagious' dog disease has been confirmed at a surgery in Moray. Moray Coast Vet Group said one dog at its surgery in Forres is in isolation after it was diagnosed with canine parvovirus. Parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can affect dogs and puppies, and can be spread through direct contact with an infected dog's faeces. The vet practice says it's a 'hardy virus' which can lie dormant in the environment, with puppies and unvaccinated dogs being particularly at risk. Symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite and bloody diarrhoea, and can progress to dehydration, severe lethargy and death. Dog owners are being urged to check their pets' vaccination status, as a vaccine is the most effective way to prevent a dog from becoming ill. A post on the surgery's Facebook read: 'Sadly, we have a confirmed case of Canine Parvovirus (Parvo) at Forres surgery. 'If your dog is fully up to date with their vaccinations then they are at a low risk of parvovirus. 'Cats cannot catch canine parvovirus. 'The patient is in isolation and being barrier nursed, and there's no risk to other pets visiting the practice, which will have no contact with the sick dog. 'Parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can affect dogs and puppies. It can be spread through direct contact with an infected dog's faeces. It's a hardy virus which can lie dormant in the environment. 'Puppies and unvaccinated dogs are particularly at risk.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Upstate veterinarian highlights safest ways to travel with pets for summer
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)— As the weather gets warmer, more people will be traveling with their pets. Veterinarians in the Upstate want to make sure pet owners are doing it safely. VetChat Mobile Veterinarian Dr. Christy Belcher said the first thing people should do if they're planning to take their pets with them on a trip is to get them up-to-date on all their vaccinations. Dr. Belcher said all dogs and cats need to be current on their rabies vaccine. Pet owners are advised to have their pets' official rabies certification with them, which displays their tag number. Dr. Belcher explained that pet owners can keep a digital copy of the rabies certification on hand or print it out. 'We also recommend distemper, Parvo and Leptospirosis for dogs and then bordetella kennel cough for dogs, since dogs are going to be mingling with dogs all over and we don't know their vaccine status. And then, the same for cats, just a rabies vaccine and then a feline distemper and a feline leukemia vaccine,' said Dr. Christy Belcher. Dr. Belcher recommends printing all medical records for the pets to make it easier to refill a prescription, especially for those traveling out of state. 'Some pharmacies have a drive-thru, so, you know, explain to them, 'Hey, I have an animal. Is there any way I can buy whatever I need through the drive-thru so that I don't have to leave my pet in the car? Dr. Belcher added. 'We say probably for every four to six hours of driving, we want to stop, just let the pet get out.' Dr. Belcher went on to say pets should be in crates while driving and never left alone. She also advised pet owners who are flying to complete all the required health certifications for boarding a plane two weeks before their trips. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
St. Louis County says parvo shelter outbreak is ‘under control'
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – St. Louis County Executive Sam Page announced that the Parvo virus outbreak at the county animal shelter is now under control. The outbreak, described as the 'worst' in county history, led to the euthanization of 19 dogs last week and prompted the closure of the shelter to prevent further spread of the virus. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Whenever you have a tragedy like this, the community steps up and says what can we do to help? And we're working with all those new partners,' he said. Page cited that the support from the community has been overwhelming, with veterinarians and shelters reaching out to the shelter. The incident will be studied to improve procedures and protocols at the shelter, according to Page. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Free vaccine clinic for pets
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Teddy Bear Pools and Spas in Chicopee teamed up with Second Chance Animal Services to offer a free vaccine clinic for dogs and cats. This clinic helped pet owners stay up-to-date on their pets' vaccinations. It ensures their four-legged friends have a healthy and happy life. Pet owners were able to get free Parvo-virus vaccinations along with rabies vaccinations for just $18 for their pets, and microchipping services for $22. Parvo is a highly contagious disease that can be deadly and affects mainly young and unvaccinated animals. 22News spoke to Second Chance about the significance of providing this free and reduced-cost vaccine clinic to the community. Chief Development Officer Lindsay Doray told 22News, 'It's to ensure that the disease doesn't spread. It's to make sure that these pets are vaccinated and safe from that, and to make sure that they have access to veterinary care. All animals have to be licensed. So this is an opportunity to make sure that they get the vaccines they need that are required to do that.' If you weren't able to stop by today, there are more opportunities to get your pets Chance Animal Hospital offers free and reduced-price vaccine clinics every week across the area. Second Chance will also be holding their annual golf tournament on July 14th in proceeds from the tournament help pets in underserved communities. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
