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File photo: The Trenton Animal Shelter and People for Animals of Robbinsville will offer Trenton residents free vaccinations for their pets on Saturday in Cadwalader Park.
(AP Photo)
TRENTON—Dozens of dogs in the western section of the city have become ill and died as a result of parvovirus over the past month, leading area animal organizations to apply for an emergency grant to address the outbreak.
Valerie Wilson of People for Animals in Robbinsville said the Trenton Animal Shelter started receiving phone calls that their pets were sick about a month ago. In a two-week span, the shelter saw dozens of cases of parvovirus, which affects animals’ intestinal tracts and attacks their white blood cells, she said.
It is highly contagious and often fatal as it progresses quickly, Wilson said. Most of the time, it requires hospitalization but is preventable with proper vaccinations, she said.
"Often people can't afford the treatment, and that often leads people to euthanize their animal, unless someone has a few thousand dollars to have the animal treated," she said. "It led people to want to surrender their sick pet to the shelter."
The Trenton Animal Shelter and People for Animals, which provides low-cost vaccinations and other pet services, partnered and applied to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to help prevent the spread of the virus.
The ASPCA awarded them an emergency grant, providing funding for 400 vaccines the groups will offer free to city residents in the center of Cadwalader Park on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m.
Only residents from the western part of Trenton with a 08618 zip code will be eligible to receive the vaccines for their pets, Wilson said. Proof of residency is required, she said.
Dogs plagued with parvovirus experience vomiting, blood in their stools and diarrhea leading to dehydration, Wilson said. It is important for pet owners to clean up after their dog because the virus can be spread through feces.
“It travels on the dogs’ feet when they’re walking through the grass,” Wilson said.
As a puppy, every dog should have a series of three to four vaccines that help prevent parvovirus, hepatitis and other diseases, Wilson said.
“But often a lot of people don’t get the proper shots and think if they get one, they’re covered,” she said. “They’re told their pets need the shots every three weeks to booster it, but they don’t have the money.”
The rain-or-shine event is scheduled for Saturday in Cadwalader Park from 3 to 5 p.m. The free vaccinations will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
Nicole Mulvaney may be reached at nmulvaney@njtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @NicoleMulvaney. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.