RENTON, Wash. — A highly contagious and deadly dog disease is raising alarms in Renton.
It’s called parvovirus, a disease seen predominantly in puppies.
It’s transmitted through dog feces, and can seep into the soil, contaminating an area for weeks. High traffic areas for dogs, such as parks and boarding kennels, can increase the risk of contracting the disease.
We spoke with Alicia Dolman at Happy Trails Veterinary Hospital in Renton, who’s urging pet owners to keep their pet vaccinations up to date and to be aware of where you take your pets.
“For those people that don’t know about parvo. It is a very dangerous, dangerous, widespread virus that can kill your pet,” warns Dolman.
Dolman says her clinic has seen three cases of parvovirus in the last few weeks, and the common denominator for them was the dogs had all been at Renton’s Petrovitsky Park. The busy park is nearly 90 acres.
Dolman says one of the dogs her clinic tried to treat, died after contracting parvovirus.
We reached out to King County Parks and Recreation, who runs Petrovitsky Park. Following our report, the department tells KIRO 7, they plan to put up notices about the parvovirus concerns, and to encourage dog owners to keep their pet vaccinations up to date.