The Humane Society of Houston County is temporarily closed because of a parvovirus outbreak.
Their doors have been locked since Monday, and director Dee Allison said six of their dogs have been infected so far, most of them puppies.
She said it's likely because people don't follow the rules in place during the open visitation hours on Saturdays. Visitors are asked to step in a bucket of Clorox before they come inside and to avoid touching the dogs without permission.
She said she has people who blatantly ignore those rules and touch the dogs without washing their hands.
Allison said they try to be diligent, but it still happens.
She said they lost one older dog three weeks ago and another one on Saturday, both from parvo.
The other four infected came from animal control and they are currently being examined by veterinarians.
Vernard Hodges, a Houston County veterinarian, said parvo can be passed from one dog to another if they do not have the proper vaccines, but humans can pass it to an unvaccinated dog, too.
"Whether it's a dog bowl, a dog collar, it can be your hands, your clothing, it can be your shoes, so, yes, it's a very contagious disease," he said.
Hodges said there really is no treatment for the virus.
"It's very hard to kill it, so -- heat won't kill parvo, cold won't kill parvo, humidity, time," he said. "Parvo has been known to hang around for years."
Dr. Hodges said he has seen a lot of parvo outbreaks in the south because of the heat. He says it can live in the dog’s body seven to 10 days before it shows any signs of infection, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Humans, however, show no signs of infection.
According to Dr. Hodges, the best thing to do is to wash your hands after every encounter with a dog and use Clorox on everything. It’s one of the few things that can prevent the spread of the virus.
Allison says the vet bills from the outbreak could force them to close. To fully treat a dog for parvo, it can cost up to $2,400.
“It’s pretty devastating, financially, for us because we’re closing down for two weeks. We don’t stay open if we don’t have the cash flow," she said.
Allison said they haven’t had a parvo outbreak in almost two years, but after this, they will be making some changes in the way they do open visitations on the weekend to prevent this from happening again.
She said as of right now, they plan to reopen on August 21, but they will monitor the situation and keep everyone updated on Facebook.
Allison said her message to anyone listening is to get your dog vaccinated because it could save the lives of dozens of other dogs.