More than 35 dogs sick with flu at PAWS Tinley Park shelter

TINLEY PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- The PAWS shelter in south suburban Tinley Park is closed after several dogs have contracted the flu, the shelter said.

Between 35 to 40 dogs are sick with the virus; although only 12 of the cases were confirmed, PAWS says the virus is so highly contagious that they have stopped testing.

"It's very bad, most of our dogs if not all of them have it - the few that we have that don't have it will have it because it's so highly contagious," said Candy Staros, a volunteer with PAWS. "If you've got one positive test, you're going to have everyone testing positive."

PAWS volunteers are feeding the dogs chicken soup and human pediatric oral electrolyte solution to combat dehydration because the dogs aren't eating.

Area veterinarians have consulted with PAWS and say this is the worst canine outbreak of the flu yet in the south suburbs. Concern over dog flu has prompted many area animal shelters and pet boarding facilities to temporarily close. The outbreak has affected an estimated 1,300 dogs across the Midwest.

The shelter has stopped accepting the stray, injured and sick, and suspended adoptions.

At the Animal Welfare League of Chicago, Cook County's largest animal adoption center, empty cages bear witness to an unprecedented crisis.

Mounting food, drug and veterinarian bills combined with no adoption income threatens this facility, but Linda Estrada, the center's executive director, says they had to stop adoptions to break the cycle of transmission.

PAWS encourages all dog owners to be on the lookout for lethargy and vomiting in their pets, as symptoms usually appear within two to four days of infection. If left untreated, the virus can turn into pneumonia.