KAUFMAN, Texas — Out of an abundance of caution, dog adoptions at the Kaufman County Pet Adoption Center have been suspended until further notice due to an exposure to the distemper virus.
Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that impacts dogs, as well as other animals such as ferrets, skunks and raccoons.
The intake dog that tested positive for distemper has been removed and placed into quarantine in another location, and the remaining dogs in the Pet Adoption Center are being tested, according to officials. Once the center is declared clear of the virus, dog adoptions will resume.
The Kaufman County Animal Control Division of the Fire Marshal’s Office will not be picking up any strays during this time. All services will return to normal once the shelter has been cleared of the virus.
The adoption suspension is system-wide for all Humane Society of North Texas’ locations.
Distemper poses no threat to humans or cats, so this suspension does not include the feline population at the Center, according to officials.
Humane Society of North Texas provides the North Texas community a variety of services to end animal cruelty & pet homelessness in North Texas. The organization works to find homeless pets forever homes and provide the community with much-needed services to keep people and their pets together.
The Humane Society of North Texas was founded in 1905 and is the oldest animal welfare organization in the North Texas area. The society provides services such as pet adoptions, low-cost spay and neuter surgeries as well as vaccination.