Dogtown's Proactive Response to the 2023 Mysterious Canine Respiratory Virus

At Dogtown, the safety and health of our four-legged friends are paramount, and we want to keep you informed about our diligent efforts in handling the mysterious respiratory virus currently making headlines as we enter into the holiday boarding rush. Our approach is rooted in professionalism, care, empathy, and competence, with a focus on preventative measures and continuous monitoring.

We understand the frightening media coverage of the virus impacts your decisions as it affects Dogtown and all daycare, boarding, and grooming facilities. We continue to prioritize caution to prevent any potential harm to the very best of our ability, as we do every single day. Your support and understanding are invaluable, and we respect your personal decisions regarding your dogs' care.

We maintain a vigilant stance on the ongoing situation, implementing heightened protocols to ensure the well-being of our guests. As a precaution, each dog undergoes a health check before going into daycare. If symptoms arise, we promptly remove affected dogs and prevent entry for the safety of all. We also do not allow dogs coming from out of town who are passing through or visiting the city to enroll at our daycare. Clients who are new to town are required to quarantine their dog for two weeks before evaluation. This has been a rule at Dogtown for many years.

Our commitment to rigorous vaccination requirements remains steadfast, complemented by additional formal wellness checks seamlessly integrated into our daily routines. Every person on our team is actively talking about it and knows what to look for. We've had our eye on it since the summer. So far, we aren't seeing an alarming quantity of illnesses.

Heightened cleaning practices are diligently upheld, assuring a clean environment, including regular replacement and cleaning of water bowls. It's important to note that these measures are standard for Dogtown during any perceived threat and constitute our everyday protocol, regardless of illness. Thanks to our diligence, we've successfully kept instances of illness at an extremely low level. With our dedicated efforts, we anticipate a healthy holiday season at Dogtown.

While the nature of the virus remains unknown, we're attentive to symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, eye discharge, or lethargy and we encourage our customers to take these symptoms seriously. So far, we have not witnessed what we would consider an outbreak, but rather, sporadic cases of a dog or two here and there with respiratory symptoms over the past few months, symptoms not uncommon during this season. We do not know if these dogs have the mystery virus or one of the normal respiratory viruses we see every year. Keeping dogs up to date on vaccines remains a requirement, contributing to overall preventive health and reducing risks. Rest assured, our proactive measures have thus far prevented any escalation. We have not observed an alarming quantity of infections. We are uncertain if the mystery virus has reached the Midwest, but we've seen encouraging news about the causes and potential effectiveness of antibiotic treatments.

We emphasize the importance of early intervention. If your dog exhibits any signs of illness, especially coughing, prompt veterinary attention is recommended. While we are not veterinary professionals, our commitment to your pet's well-being is unwavering. As with all respiratory illnesses, dogs with shorter snouts, existing health problems, and other health risks (such as being very old or very young) are at greater risk.

If your dog has symptoms of any kind DO NOT BRING THEM TO DAYCARE! If your dog falls ill, please inform us, even if you haven't visited daycare recently. We closely monitor the extent of all illnesses in our facility that affect our clients. We advise a 10-day quarantine once antibiotics are first administered. The safety of our Dogtown family remains our top priority, and we're committed to keeping you updated as we navigate these uncertainties together. Your trust means the world to us, and we thank you for your ongoing support. Stay safe, and please don't hesitate to reach out with any concerns or questions.

This virus was first discovered and studied in August on the West Coast. We are collecting recent articles on the subject for our customers and watching for new developments. Check back regularly: