SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – In the days before Christmas, Paisha Dixon and her fiancé visited SCRAPS, to find another dog. They found Sammy.
“We decided she would be a really good fit for our home,” Dixon said.
Dixon explained that Sammy quickly became part of the family, saying on the first night, she was energetic and happy.
But by the next morning, Dixon noticed Sammy wasn’t eating, and symptoms of parvovirus, including lethargy and vomiting, began to escalate. So they went to the vet, for the first time.
At first, Dixon says they were told Sammy likely had gas, or another disease.
But they went back to the vet when symptoms progressed again. This time, Sammy was diagnosed with Parvo.
“They sent us home with a plethora of drugs,” Dixon explained.
Unfortunately, Sammy passed away the day after Christmas due to the virus.
Ronnie Schlabs, the director at SCRAPS, confirmed that parvovirus was found in Sammy and four other dogs at the shelter.
“We have seen an increase in dogs, adult dogs in our facility that have been diagnosed from Parvovirus,” Schlabs said.
To prevent further spread, SCRAPS has closed its dog adoption areas for at least the next 14 days. The shelter is isolating dogs that may have been exposed, and extra cleaning measures are underway.
Parvovirus is deadly and highly contagious, capable of surviving in an environment for up to two years.
Schlabs explained that a Parvo vaccine is the best defense against the virus.
“So please, if you do have dogs, get them vaccinated,” Schlabs said.
Since the first parvovirus case on December 10, about 24 dogs have been one of the adopted cases that has reported Parvo.
As for Dixon, she has taken precautions to protect her other dog from potential exposure by sending him to family.
But overall, she says her and her fiancé, are missing Sammy.
“Sammy took up a big chunk of our heart really quickly,” Dixon said.
