Update on CIRD-C at Dallas Animal Services 

We are pleased to announce that the Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex outbreak has been resolved. A handful of pets are still finishing up medication and/or recovering, and these pets have been isolated to a single room. The rest of our population is healthy and ready for adoption, foster, or rescue. Due to the constant flow of animals, CIRD-C may always be present; however, thanks to our population mitigation strategies, we can now isolate pets showing symptoms of illness quickly and safely. 

What caused this outbreak? 

Multiple testing sources have shown that various pathogens came in and resisted the baseline antibiotic protocols. Regardless of the cause, the treatment plan developed with our outside consultants has proven effective. While no specific bacteria are to blame, the root cause of this outbreak was housing more pets than our shelter is built to handle. 

Why are admissions still limited? 

This outbreak was the direct result of overcrowding in our shelter. We have been advised to keep our population below 100% capacity to allow for the effective isolation of symptomatic pets. Isolating sick animals is key to preventing the spread of disease, and we must have dedicated space to house those animals away from apparently healthy pets. For this reason, we are still limiting the admission of healthy dogs. 

What do I do if I find a stray dog? 

We are still accepting pets requiring immediate attention or those who are a risk to themselves or others. If you find a healthy stray dog, we ask that you call 311 and give as much detail as possible. Please leave them in the area you found them (away from hazards such as traffic) and call 311 to report a loose dog. If you find a healthy stray dog and are willing to safely house them until an owner can be found or DAS has space to admit them, please call 311 to report a confined stray dog. If you want to bring a confined stray to DAS to scan for a microchip and administer their first round of vaccines, please email [email protected] for instructions. 

What is the plan moving forward? 

Our top priority is the health and safety of our community and ensuring we do not find ourselves in a similar situation. We are still working to finesse and finalize our updated managed admissions policies to ensure consistent communication and maximize efficiency. We will announce our updated process after reviewing what strategies work best. The goal is to increase the number of pets we can help while reducing the length of stay and preventing the spread of disease. During this transition period, we ask for the public’s patience and welcome feedback as we strive to make our shelter work even better for our community.