South Loop PetSmart confirms one case of dog flu

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The dog flu may be making a comeback. The PetSmart hotel in the South Loop on Canal Street has confirmed it has one case of dog flu.

The PetSmart hotel in the South Loop has stopped taking reservations at both the pet hotel and the doggy daycare camp. A spokesperson says it's not known if the dog contracted the flu at the PetSmart or if it brought the flu to that location.

The news is concerning for dog owners. Much like humans, dogs who have had canine flu before can indeed catch it again.

"When you hear about it, you're kind of more cautious, at least now I'm going to be a little cautious about his interaction," says Edwin Pangilinan about his own dog. "Maybe even walk him instead of coming here."

"I'm just going to keep him away from dogs for a little while, which may be tough but all really for his wellbeing," says Erika Summers, whose 6-year-old Lah-sah-poo Kennedy has already beat the flu once.

Summers says Kennedy was at daycare in affected PetSmart on Tuesday.

"They called just to let me know and give me a heads up that there was an outbreak and that I should kind of watch over Kennedy for the next couple of days and to make sure that he's okay," she says.

Pet owners say they are glad PetSmart is being aggressive and transparent.

"As a large organization it has the capacity to be good citizens, especially for dogs. It's wonderful when you're outright and confronting that, as opposed to getting a lot of people complaining at the back end because you're hiding something," says Lili Scales, pet owner. "I think people can generally appreciate when you're honest about something."

And neighborhood pet owners are sharing the information.

"The dog park was good in that there was some information that was posted," says Dave McClellan. "So it's there for people who want to learn a little more about it."

PetSmart released a statement, saying, "Once all pets have been safely removed from the hotel, we will begin a rigorous 72-hour disinfecting process. In the meantime, pets remaining in our care will be monitored around the clock by a PetSmart associate. These pets will also receive multiple visits every day from a Banfield veterinarian."

Currently, PetSmart is reaching out to pet parents, many of whom are on vacation, to get all the animals in the facility's care picked up. The cleaning process will begin as soon as all the animals are home with their owners.