Bridgeport dog owners urged to vaccinate against Parvo

BRIDGEPORT – The city’s new animal control officer is urging Bridgeport dog owners who have not already done so to get their canines vaccinated against the parvo virus. Randy Stanley who assumed animal control duties since last spring recently reported to the city council that he has confirmed four cases of the fatal dog disease in the city.

“The ones I told council about are just the ones I have seen or actually done something with and it’s hard to find out or follow up on why a dog has died.” said Stanley.

Stanley suspects there are more dogs infected with parvo than he has been able to document so he trying to get the word out to those who will be more proactive with their pets’ health in the face of a heightened threat.

The virus is highly contagious and often lethal for dogs. About 40 percent of those infected will die

Vaccination for parvo is not mandatory like rabies because dogs cannot pass the virus to humans. Still, the virus is highly contagious, often lethal for dogs and one of the major dangers to puppies and young dogs.

On the positive side Stanley said that while it is an ongoing learning process Bridgeport dog owners have been doing much better with their dog control. He does not endorse any measure to make parvo vaccination mandatory.

Earlier this year the City of Brewster was concerned enough about parvo spreading among its dog population that the city council considered an ordinance to make parvo mandatory as part of the licensing requirements. Subsequent research revealed that no other city in Washington had such an ordinance so council members did not pursue the requirement.

The Brewster Veterinary Clinic said most clients who bring their puppies in for appointments agree to the parvo shots along with the state mandated rabies vaccination. A puppy needs a parvo shot at eight weeks of age, again at 12 weeks, and a third 16 weeks for full coverage. An annual shot protects an adult dog.

In addition to Bridgeport, Stanley provides on-call animal control services for Bridgeport Bar and Mansfield. He can be reached at 509-449-0515.