'What we're doing is working': More dog parvovirus clinics coming to downtown Windsor as deadly outbreak stabilizes

Three canine parvovirus vaccination clinics are scheduled to take place in downtown Windsor this Friday and Saturday as the number of cases related to a parvo outbreak that began last month levels off.

Animal Welfare Services (AWS) has seen a slight increase in the total number of animals exhibiting signs of parvo, but the number of animals taken in by the AWS team has leveled off since the last week of December.

AWS officials said the stabilization of these numbers indicates that the measures implemented by AWS to control the spread of the virus are showing positive results.

"There were 50 animals with signs of parvo as of January 2, up from 49 on December 31," said Brent Ross, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General, which Animal Welfare Services is housed under. "That number remained at 50 on January 3. The total number of animals taken into AWS care was steady at 36 from December 31 to January 3."

As of Jan. 7, 2025, AWS has been made aware of the death of 25 dogs due to the parvovirus outbreak in Windsor. Of the 36 dogs removed by AWS, 18 were euthanized due to the progress of the infection, 14 have been returned to their owners, and the remaining four remain in care.

"What we're doing is working," said Windsor/Essex County Humane Society Executive Director Lynette Bain.

Humane Society of Windsor Essex on Jan. 8, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

Bain said the humane society will be hosting the 3 mobile vaccine clinics in partnership with Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation between Friday and Saturday, starting on Jan. 10 at 920 Ouellette Ave. from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Then again on Jan. 11 at 255 Riverside Dr. from 10 a.m. to noon and at 333 Glengarry Ave. from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

A similar vaccine clinic was held in the Glengarry neighbourhood on Dec. 14, 2024, with members of the Hamilton/Burlington Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Chatham’s Pet and Wildlife Rescue.

"We're not dealing with any active cases here. The calls have all but stopped," Bain said. "I mean, we're not letting our guard down. And that's hence why doing these booster clinics and really stepping up, making sure the public is aware. Talking about the disease, what you can do to prevent it and I think that's really working."

Parvovirus spreads easily from dog to dog and symptoms can range from vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. Bain notes it can be fatal if left untreated, urging dog owners to ensure the animals vaccinations are up to date.

"There is no cure for parvo. Prevention is the key. The treatment costs a lot of money because it involves I.V. fluids, more intense monitoring. a lot of ambulatory nursing," Bain explained.

She continued, "The vaccine actually it's really not that expensive and, you know, call around to different clinics to see what options there are because there are different prices at different clinics. With this increased caseload that has been in the area, I do believe that there's been some flexibility that's been extended by some of our clinics."