An outbreak of infection has left dogs stuck in their kennels for three weeks at a South Los Angeles shelter.
As of Thursday, 20 dogs at Chesterfield Square had tested positive for giardia, according to L.A. Animal Services. The common and highly contagious parasitic infection can cause diarrhea in animals as well as people. The first case was found Jan. 22.
Walks, play groups and adoption meetings outside kennels were paused for a two-week isolation period to find and treat affected dogs, but that period was extended indefinitely by the shelter’s team of veterinarians.
“As an open intake shelter, LA Animal Services Centers are mandated to accept every stray, abandoned, or injured animal from their respective jurisdiction, which makes the shelter pet population vulnerable to animals arriving into the shelters with unknown health histories,” said Agnes Sibal-von Debshitz, spokesperson for L.A. Animal Services, in a statement.
The goal is to deep-clean kennels daily to prevent spread, Annette Ramirez, Animal Services general manager, said Tuesday at a meeting of the Board of Animal Services Commissioners. But with no tracking system in place for the cleaning of kennels holding the shelter’s 230 dogs, some kennels don’t get cleaned every day and must be done the next day, she said.
Giardia is spread through feces-contaminated water, soil and food, according to Cornell University’s veterinary college. Sick dogs can easily be reinfected by grooming themselves and living in an unclean environment. Most dogs fully recover from infection with proper treatment.
Critics complained that dogs were still being placed on the euthanasia list despite the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the outbreak — when some animals could show behavioral decline, like losing weight despite receiving extra food or showing severe signs of stress, from being stuck inside a kennel for weeks at a time.
Not being able to take dogs out of their kennels made it harder for fosters and rescuers to determine whether they were suitable for rescue, some said.
The shelter system has come under fire for failing to exercise and socialize dogs properly even without the complication of illness. Volunteers told The Times in 2022 there were dogs at the South L.A. shelter that hadn’t been walked in over a month amid an ongoing overcrowding and staffing crisis.
As of Monday, three dogs at the shelter with stress-related concerns were listed for euthanasia, Ramirez said, though she clarified that euthanasia rates had not gone up in recent weeks due to the isolation.
“It is inhumane to continue to keep them in a shelter environment where their condition continues to deteriorate,” she said.
Kat Typaldos, a volunteer who spoke during the public comment period at Tuesday’s meeting, said she had requested information about cleaning-shift coordination the day the outbreak started but didn’t receive a response for weeks. “The lack of communication and an organized agenda … creates confusion and delay at a time when rapid volunteer support could be critical,” she said.
Wednesday afternoon, some dogs at the South L.A. shelter — an open-air facility — were kept in feces- and urine-soiled kennels. Some animals had notes written on blue index cards attached to their identification cards listing giardia, diarrhea or other illnesses.
Many dogs stepped around feces to greet potential adopters through the bars of their kennels. Signs on most kennels asked visitors to avoid putting their hands inside the kennels or petting the animals.
Giardia can spread from dogs to humans, but it’s unlikely because the type of giardia that causes illness in dogs differs from the type that sickens humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite the outbreak, the shelter is open daily Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a planned limited return to normal operations this Sunday, Sibal-von Debschitz said. Adopters are still welcome to meet shelter animals through their kennel doors.
