Update:
The freeze on cat adoptions at the Gwinnett Animal Shelter is being lifted July 19 after review and approval by state inspectors.
The quarantine was spurred by a kitten found dead July 1. A necropsy at the University of Georgia showed the kitten had died from a feline panleukopenia, a highly contagious virus known as feline distemper.
The virus usually manifests within two weeks. The shelter said in a news release that no new cases have appeared among its cats in that time.
Staff with the state’s department of agriculture inspected the shelter and endorsed the county’s plan to restart adoptions.
Shelter officials said Gwinnett's annual "Catapalooza" discount event is still going on, meaning you can adopt cats for $10 through July 31 complete with vaccinations, a microchip and spay/neutering.
Original story (July 3, 2017):
The Gwinnett Animal Shelter is quarantining all cats in its care for two weeks after finding a dead kitten, the county shelter announced over the weekend.
A staff member found an unresponsive kitten on Saturday. The kitten was pronounced dead and a veterinarian told the shelter the kitten may have died from feline panleukopenia, also known as feline distemper, a highly contagious viral disease. Additional testing is required and the kitten will undergo a necropsy at the University of Georgia.
A shelter in Bartow County was quarantined last week for the same cat illness.
Probe into Gwinnett Animal Shelter done; fired employee threatens suit
Gwinnett shelter at capacity, rescues and adoptive families needed
Cat adoptions are on hold until at least July 15, when the 14-day quarantine is set to expire. People who have pending cat adoptions have already been notified, the shelter said.
Dog intake, adoptions and rescue are not affected by the cat quarantine; they will go on as usual, the shelter said.
In other news:
