Puppy’s death in Victoria prompts warning about vaccines from SPCA

VANCOUVER – A puppy’s death in Victoria has prompted a warning from the BC SPCA to ensure pets are vaccinated against both the canine distemper virus and parvovirus.

The puppy, believed to have lived in the Saanich-area, had previously been taken to a Vets for Pets clinic at Our Place Society on Pandora Avenue in Victoria. It had also lived in a pet-friendly building in Victoria.

“This means the puppy may have potentially exposed many other dogs to both diseases. Distemper, especially, is highly contagious and often fatal. It has a very high mortality rate,” said Erika Paul, BC SPCA senior animal protection and outreach officer, Vancouver Island. “Although parvovirus is not uncommon and often crops up with puppies, canine distemper is far less common and not easily detectable or diagnosed.”

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BC SPCA chief animal health officer, Dr. James Lawson, said canine distemper was once the most common cause of canine death due to the highly contagious nature of the disease, but is rarely seen today because a protective vaccine was developed in the 1950s.

“We strongly urge any dog guardians who have not already vaccinated their pets to do so immediately, for both distemper and parvovirus,” he said in a release. “Once a dog has been infected with distemper, the mortality rate is about 50 per cent, depending on the strain of the virus and the dog’s immune system. Those who do survive can suffer debilitating neurological damage.”

The disease, which is spread by airborne droplets, is not contagious to humans, but domestic dogs, wild canines, raccoons, and skunks are all at risk of infection.

The investigation into the puppy’s death continues and the BC SPCA will be recommending charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Criminal Code of Canada against the owner of the puppy, based on the evidence collected.