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Over the past two weeks, APS staff members have worked alongside local veterinary experts and the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine Shelter Medicine Program to complete the most comprehensive infectious disease assessment our shelter has ever undertaken.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to this collaboration, every dog in our shelter received individualized evaluation, including PCR testing, antibody titer testing, veterinary assessment, vaccination review, and ongoing monitoring. This information has allowed us to make thoughtful, science-based decisions for each dog while protecting the health of the entire shelter population and the broader community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We are happy to share that dog adoptions and foster placements will resume on Wednesday, July 8.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What This Means\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dogs will once again be available for adoption and foster placement on a case-by-case basis.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before any dog leaves the shelter, our team will review the dog\u2019s medical information with adopters or foster families, including<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Our goal is to ensure every adopter and foster family has the information they need to make an informed decision and feel confident bringing a new dog home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What We Learned<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Our testing confirmed what veterinary experts expected: While a number of dogs tested positive for canine distemper, the vast majority of dogs also demonstrated protective antibody levels from vaccination or previous immunity. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These results allowed us to\u00a0identify\u00a0which dogs\u00a0required\u00a0additional\u00a0precautions and which dogs could safely move forward toward adoption or foster placement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The ability to take an individualized approach for each dog is why comprehensive testing was so valuable.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A Note About Risk<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Animal shelters care for animals from many\u00a0different backgrounds, often with unknown medical and vaccination histories. Like pediatricians\u2019 offices, daycare centers, or human hospitals, shelters will always have some level of infectious disease risk despite strong preventive measures.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n No shelter can guarantee that an animal will never become ill after adoption or foster placement. What we can<\/em> promise is that we will continue to use the best available science, vaccinate\u00a0immediately\u00a0upon intake whenever possible, closely\u00a0monitor\u00a0every animal, communicate openly, and provide honest counseling so adopters and foster families understand any known risks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Transparency\u00a0remains\u00a0one of our highest priorities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thank You\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We are incredibly grateful for the patience, encouragement, and trust shown by our volunteers, foster families, adopters, rescue partners, Durham County Animal Services, veterinary colleagues, donors, and our entire community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Most of all, we want to thank our extraordinary staff. They responded to this challenge with professionalism, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to both individual animals and the health of our shelter population\u00a0and broader community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Because of this collective effort, dogs are once again finding their way into loving homes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>We can\u2019t wait to welcome adopters and foster families back through our doors!<\/span><\/p>\n\n