SpokAnimal closes as nonprofit shelter contends with unidentified respiratory illness affecting more than a dozen dogs

Half of the roughly 30 dogs at the nonprofit shelter SpokAnimal have contracted a yet-to-be-identified respiratory illness that’s led to some cases of pneumonia and the temporary closure of the shelter.

Executive Director Dori Peck said the illness is not transferring into the cat population at the shelter. The organization first observed symptoms among the dogs around Dec. 22, including lethargy, reduced appetites and excess mucus production. Those symptoms are consistent with the umbrella term for canine respiratory infections, “kennel cough,” which could be caused by a number of bacteria and viruses, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Peck said kennel cough is common in shelters, dog day cares and other gathering places for canines, particularly when the weather is damp. The organization has sent tests to a facility in California to potentially identify an exact diagnosis for, and factors leading to the respiratory illness.

“We may never know what it is; we never knew two years ago what it was,” Peck said, referring to a similar 2023 nationwide outbreak that affected more than 50 dogs at the clinic and led to one death.

“There was never a complete diagnosis for it, and we had sent tests out to Florida, Wisconsin, California, Texas, and we never got a definitive answer,” she added.

On Saturday, Peck and company made the decision to close SpokAnimal’s shelter to the public to avoid any potential spread. The closure does not affect the clinic side of SpokAnimal’s operations since the facilities are separate, she said, and all appointments are being honored as scheduled.

Cat adoptions are also ongoing, through the Kitty Cantina café, as well as at adoption centers within Petco and PetSmart locations.

Illness is not uncommon in a shelter environment, but it’s hard to respond when the exact cause is undetermined, Peck said. Treatment is currently being led by in-house shelter veterinarian Lisa Branford, and the dogs are receiving treatment for their symptoms, including nebulizing treatments, antibiotics, additional fluids and specialized diets.

“Really at this point, you’ve just kind of got to wait it out and see how things are going,” Peck said.

Peck said the staff has seen some progress among the sick dogs, like their appetites returning and fewer sniffles. What’s causing the most concern for her right now are a few puppies with pneumonia. Like humans, young and old dogs are more vulnerable to disease and illness.

“The puppies make me the most nervous, just because their little immune systems are not fully developed,” Peck said. “So they’re the ones we watch the most.”

Peck will continue to provide updates on SpokAnimal’s social media as the week goes on.

For anyone inquiring on how to assist the organization as it navigates the outbreak, Peck said financial contributions would have the most impact. Donations would help offset the amount of resources and funding put into care for the dogs this week.

“Everything we’re doing costs a lot of money,” Peck said. “The antibiotics that we’re using are very expensive. The staff time is up; they’re working a lot of extra hours. Financial support would be amazing.”