Dogs with canine parvovirus put down at Alice Springs Animal Shelter
A tumultuous week for one Red Centre animal shelter has gotten worse with the spreading of a “frivolous” rumour, with the council and mayor revealing what really happened.
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A social media rumour about animals being euthanised at an animal shelter has been proven partly true in the Red Centre – but the truth is less sensational and more heartbreaking, according to the council now running the shelter.
The Alice Springs Town Council, which now runs the Alice Springs Animal Shelter, said it made the “heartbreaking decision” to euthanise a number of animals at the shelter on Thursday, July 18.
In a statement, the council confirmed it had euthanised three dogs – each with the highly contagious canine parvovirus – as well as “several” feral cats, all in accordance with professional advice.
“This highly contagious and agonising disease has a 91-99 per cent mortality rate, and the heartbreaking decision to euthanise was not made lightly and only after thorough consultation and professional input,” the council statement said.
“Please be aware of the dangers of parvo, ensure your pets are vaccinated and look out for symptoms such as: lethargy; loss of appetite; vomiting; severe, often bloody, diarrhoea; abdominal pain and bloating.”
This is a far-cry from what one anonymous poster – in a now deleted post on the Alice Springs Lost Pets group – claimed.
NT News understands the post was the source of much speculation as to what was going on at the shelter on Friday, July 19.
“Poor vets currently at the shelter being directed to euthanise almost all dogs,” the post reads.
The post said it was an “ASTC (Alice Springs Town Council) decision” to put the animals down.
But Mayor Matt Paterson rebuffed the rumours as “completely frivolous and not true”.
“It’s disappointing that people are going to make up these sort of things without actually speaking to anyone in council,” he said.
“These rangers out there are going above and beyond, and it takes a toll on their mental health, and they have to deal with the fake news that is being produced online,” he said.
Mayor Paterson stressed the decision to put down the dogs was one that wasn’t made lightly, and was done to curb the spread of parvo at the shelter.
“It’s extremely traumatic to keep a dog alive if they’ve got parvo,” he said.
“We have to remember, if we don’t put the dogs down, and it’s a very contagious infection, we put up more dogs at harm as well.”
The euthanisation rumour comes at a turbulent time for the shelter, which went into administration at the start of week on Monday, July 15.
In the prior week, more than 20 animals were dropped at the shelter in a single day – with the Alice Springs community then banding together in support.
An Alice Springs Town Council spokesperson said the anonymous poster only sought to “piggyback” on the outpouring of community support for the shelter.
“We commend everyone for their vigilance in looking out for animal welfare, and we’re glad in this case we could set the rumours to rest by sharing the real facts,” they said.
Mayor Paterson said exciting things were in the works for the shelter, with an adoption push to be announced shortly.
“Watch this space,” he said.
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