Parvovirus outbreak temporarily closes Sevier Co. Animal Care Center

SEVIER CO., Tenn. (WVLT) - The Sevier Animal Care Center announced that they would be temporarily closing Sunday after a Parvovirus outbreak among the dogs in their care. Instead, the shelter planned to work on an appointment-based system.

Shelter representatives announced the closure on Facebook, saying out of an abundance of caution they had quarantined affected animals and planned to close their doors until Tuesday, May 31. Since more space is needed for quarantines, shelter representatives said, they’ve been forced to close their doors for the time being. Unfortunately, several dogs in the shelter’s care came from hoarding situations, meaning they have low immune system levels.

“Our goal is to ensure that we are keeping our community safe from this terrible virus without having to euthanize animals unnecessarily or expose new canines to possible germs,” the announcement states.

The good news is the shelter vaccinates animals upon arrival and gives booster shots every two weeks, so several animals are still adoptable, shelter representatives said. The quarantine and closure were put into place to stop any spreading, Ashley Thomas with the shelter told WVLT News.

“Yeah, we just don’t want the foot traffic to spread any possible germs. Yes, everyone out here is available for adoption by appointment and they have been cleared by the team at the UT vet school through their blood results,” she said.

If you still need to access the shelter, or just want to check out some adoptable animals, you can make an appointment by calling 865-465-6300.

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