Shelter set to again accept cats

The Athens-Clarke County Animal Shelter is scheduled to begin accepting cats again tomorrow: the shelter on Buddy Christian Way in Athens stopped taking cats earlier this month because of confirmed cases of a highly contagious animal virus. 

From the Athens-Clarke Co Animal Shelter…

The Athens-Clarke County Animal Shelter at 125 Buddy Christian Way will not accept any cats until Saturday, July 20 due to two confirmed cases of feline panleukopenia, also called pan luke or FP. The disease is also called feline distemper or feline parv. FP is a highly contagious virus among unvaccinated cats that is common in the wild and has a high mortality rate, especially among kittens.

Until July 20, only staff will be allowed in the cat area of the Animal Shelter. No volunteers or visitors will be allowed in the cat area, although the dog area of the shelter will remain open for normal operations. Although neither dogs nor humans are affected by the virus, these steps are being taken to prevent accidental exposure to the virus for cats outside of the shelter through human contact.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Animal Protection Division, which regulates and licenses animal shelters, has concurred with the steps being taken.

Residents seeking to surrender cats prior to July 20 should contact the Animal Shelter by phone for advice.

The ACC Animal Control Division of the Central Services Department operates the animal shelter. The hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Sunday from noon - 4:00 p.m.; and Wednesday by appointment only. For more information, including updated an updated list of adoptable pets and volunteer opportunities, visit www.accgov.com/animalshelter or call 706-613-3540.