An outbreak of infection left dogs stranded in their homes for three weeks at a South Los Angeles shelter.
As of Thursday, 20 dogs in Chesterfield Square have tested positive for giardia, according to LA Animal Services. A common and highly contagious virus that can cause diarrhea in animals and humans. The first case was discovered on January 22.
Walks, playgroups and adoption meetings outside kennels were temporarily suspended for two weeks to locate and treat the affected dogs, but that time was extended by the shelter’s veterinary team.
“As an open shelter, LA Animal Services Centers are authorized to accept all lost, abandoned, or injured animals from their premises, making pets vulnerable to animals arriving at shelters with unknown health histories,” said Agnes Sibal-von Debshitz, spokeswoman for LA Animal Services, in a statement.
The goal is to deep clean the cages every day to prevent the spread, said Annette Ramirez, general manager of Animal Services, on Tuesday at a meeting of the Board of Commissioners for Animal Services. But since there is no effective tracking system for cleaning the 230 dogs, some dogs are not cleaned every day and have to be done the next day, he said.
Giardia is spread through contaminated water, soil and food, according to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Sick dogs can easily become infected again by grooming and living in a dirty environment. Most dogs make a full recovery from infection with proper treatment.
Critics complain that dogs are still being put on the euthanasia list despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the outbreak – where some animals can show behavioral decline, such as losing weight despite getting more food or showing severe signs of stress, due to being trapped inside a kennel for weeks at a time.
Not being able to get the dogs out of their homes made it difficult for rescuers to see if they were ready to rescue, others said.
The shelter program has been criticized for failing to exercise and socialize dogs properly even without a medical problem. Volunteers told The Times in 2022 that there were dogs at a South LA shelter that hadn’t been taken in for more than a month amid overcrowding and staffing issues.
As of Monday, three dogs at the shelter with stress-related concerns were listed for euthanasia, Ramirez said, although he clarified that the euthanasia rate has not increased in recent weeks due to isolation.
“It is foolish to continue to keep them in the shelter when their condition continues to deteriorate,” he said.
Kat Typaldos, a volunteer who spoke during public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, said she requested information about coordinating shifts the day the violence began but did not receive a response for weeks. “Lack of communication and organized agenda … creates confusion and delays at a time when immediate volunteer support can be critical,” he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, some dogs at the South LA shelter – an open space – were kept in feces- and urine-soaked houses. Some animals had notes written on blue index cards attached to their cards that said giardia, diarrhea or other diseases.
Many dogs would step on the stool to greet people who might find them through the bars of their kennels. Signs at many of the goat houses asked visitors to avoid putting their hands inside the cages or petting the animals.
Giardia can spread from dogs to people, but it doesn’t because the type of giardia that causes illness in dogs is different from the one that makes people sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Except for the outbreak of violence, the shelter is open daily from Tuesday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm and on weekends from 11 am to 5 pm A limited return to normal activities is planned for this Sunday, said Sibal-von Debschitz. Adopters are still welcome to meet shelter animals through the doors of their homes.
