Nine dogs put down at Christchurch animal shelter, parvovirus lockdown lifted

Christchurch’s Animal Shelter. Photo: Newsline
Christchurch’s Animal Shelter. Photo: Newsline
Nine dogs have been euthanised due to a virus at Christchurch's animal shelter.

Christchurch City Council Dog Shelter was locked down after a dog tested positive for parvovirus on March 31 and is set to reopen on Monday at 1pm.

“Parvovirus is extremely contagious with mortality rates in unvaccinated dogs as high as 90%," city council animal services manager Lionel Bridger said.

"Unfortunately, this has meant we had to euthanise nine dogs which were ill with the virus," 

“Euthanasia is a last resort of our team so this incident highlights how incredibly important it is that dog owners ensure their dogs are fully vaccinated."

“While managing the outbreak we ensured all dogs in our care at the time of the outbreak received their first vaccination, on Tuesday testing has was undertaken for these dogs and the results have all come back negative," Mr Bridger says.

The Animal Shelter will be open for adoptions from Monday and the free microchipping service will commence on Wednesday 19 April between 11am and 12pm.

Owners who have a dog at the Animal Shelter should come and claim them as soon as possible.