SPCA refusal to accept animals continues

WAXAHACHIE – The Ellis County Commissioners Court once again addressed issues surrounding the SPCA’s refusal to accept incoming animals due to a recent distemper outbreak.

Ellis County Judge Todd Little said at the commissioners court meeting in early July, “The Vice President of the SPCA of Texas visited the commissioners court on Tuesday and informed us of a distemper outbreak in their local facilities.

“The disease is not transmittable to humans, but they cannot risk exposing more of their animals, as this could endanger pets.”

Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman presented information last week about a vaccination clinic in conjunction with the SPCA to be held on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Ellis County Youth Expo Center in response to the outbreak.

Norman said the clinic will be at no cost to the community.

“What we are being told by the SPCA is we can do it in a way that it will be a drive-up situation where there will not be animals at the expo where it will be a spreader or super-spreader type of incidence,” Norman explained.

Ellis County Commissioner Precinct 3 Paul Perry made a motion to approve the vaccination clinic, and the motion passed unanimously.

Norman also discussed the SPCA’s continued closed intake status and its effect on the ability of animal control to respond to resident’s calls.

Norman said since June 9 to July 26, his animal control team had not picked up 111 dogs they would have picked up if the distemper issue were not an issue.

“We have taken approximately 30 animals to the shelter, even during the distemper outbreak, because they met one of three criteria; either rabies quarantined, injured or aggressive.”

Since then, Norman said they have had some back and forth as to if they will accept animals with the three criteria, because the SPCA is saying they are full.

Several weeks ago the SPCA had indicated 14 to 21 days would be the maximum time for the distemper outbreak to subside. Last Wednesday, SPCA was expected to test all the dogs in the facility again.

Norman said earlier this week however he had not heard the results of the testing, and Ellis County Animal Control is still not picking up animals due to the outbreak.   

The SPCA of Texas did re-open its animal shelter in Dallas for adoptions after being closed due to the distemper outbreak that began in early June. This re-opening was for adoptions only at the one location.

At that same time in Ellis County, animals at the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center and the Ellis County Animal Care Center had tested positive for distemper and were isolated for treatment with the shelter remaining closed.

Norman said Tuesday of this week the number of 111 since July 26’s last commissioners court has increased. He added that residents are often keeping the animals which would normally be picked up by animal control, and everyone is hoping the outbreak runs its course soon.