Two weeks after a distemper outbreak shut down adoptions at the Robeson County Animal Shelter, officials say they're finally ready to begin adopting out animals again.
Adoptions will begin Monday at the shelter at 322 Landfill Road in St. Pauls.
Bill Smith with the Robeson County Health Department says about 20 animals had to be put down because of the distemper outbreak. Distemper is an infectious and incurable viral disease that causes vomiting, diarrhea, partial paralysis and often times death in dogs.
The shelter has been under quarantine since the disease was discovered on March 3. During that time employees cleaned and sterilized the facility and no dogs were taken in or adopted out.
This outbreak is just the latest of a series of troubles at the shelter that included claims that workers abused animals as they euthanized them. Most recently, some animals that were supposed to have been euthanized were found alive at the county landfill.
The county hired Lori Baxter in September to help clean up the shelter’s image. After four months on the job, she considered resigning because of what she called “community harassment,” but she ultimately decided to stay in the position.
The shelter is open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement