Famous ‘hugging pups’ diagnosed with parvovirus
Going viral saved their lives — now a different kind of virus is threatening them.
Kala and Keira, an 8-month-old "hound dog mix" and 1-year-old boxer mix, respectively, were destined for euthanasia last week before Alpharetta rescue group Angels Among Us posted a photo of them "hugging" on Facebook. Within hours, thousands of people had seen the photo, and a foster parent volunteered to care for them until they are adopted.
On Tuesday, however, Kala and Keira got a dose of bad news — both have been diagnosed with parvovirus.
The virus is potentially deadly, but Angels Among Us said it has a 95 percent success rate treating it.
“I would expect two to four days of hospitalization,” Andi Fahmy-Rhys, vetting director for the rescue group, said in a Tuesday news release. “We will just have to see how they do over the next day.”
The rescue group believes the “hugging pups” likely contracted the virus — which can incubate for several weeks — while in the shelter where Etowah Valley Human Society worker snapped their famous photo.
Once realized from the animal hospital, Kala and Keira will be under a two-week hold before the search for a permanent home continues.
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Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
