Distemper epidemic in Cernavoda. What we are doing to stem the spread of this disease

We are facing the worst distemper outbreak in years in Cernavoda in Romania. We are doing everything we can to safeguard the lives of the animals staying at our shelter, Footprints of Joy, and to contain it spreading among privately-owned and stray dogs living on the streets. This is what we’re doing to help curb the epidemic.

We tested the animals living at Footprints of Joy

What distemper is and how it is transmitted

Distemper is a deadly and untreatable viral disease that affects dogs and especially unvaccinated puppies.

It is spread through the air and via contact with saliva, feces and the urine of infected individuals.

Although it is not transmissible to humans, mortality among puppies can reach 80%.

An emergency response plan has been initiated to combat the distemper epidemic in Cernavoda

Given the high number of strays on the streets, the outbreak has spread extremely rapidly, forcing us to initiate a contingency plan to protect the health of our residents at the shelter.

We tested the animals living at Footprints of Joy immediately, and no positive cases have been detected so far. Until the outbreak is under control, the center will remain closed to the public and we will only accept the most urgent cases.

This has forced us to temporarily suspend ongoing activities such as our spayathons, or spay/neuter marathons, as well as any external visits or interventions. We simply cannot run the risk of endangering the lives of our animals.

We are providing new protective equipment for all of our staff members to minimize the likelihood of spreading the virus.

At the same time, we are getting organized so that we can vaccinate the first 100 privately-owned and stray dogs in the Cernavoda area. We will begin this operation in the next few weeks, along with an awareness campaign aimed at the families we monitor, ensuring that they protect their animals as soon as possible. We know that very few families regularly vaccinate their dogs against disease.

It is a real race against time.
If you would like to help us cover the cost of the vaccinations, thank you for making a donation here (click here to donate in dollars).