MRL Dog Park To Remain Closed Through Next Week

From the City of Missoula:

Posted on Feb. 6

Parks and Recreation and Missoula Animal Control have temporarily closed Montana Rail Link Dog Park after a dog that visited the park may have been exposed to parvovirus, a highly contagious disease that attacks dogs’ gastrointestinal tracts. Vaccination is the only proven defense against parvovirus. Dogs may not enter any City dog park unless they are fully vaccinated, over four months of age, and free from disease or illness. Owners must pick up their pet’s waste.

Parvo is a "universal" virus—present at significant levels in every environment, from home to kennel to park. While there is no direct evidence the pet in question contracted the virus at MRL Park, the dog park will remain closed until Parks crews can sanitize park fixtures as a precautionary measure, which may reduce the risk of disease transmission. Due to current weather conditions, the park will remain closed through most of next week. Outdoor treatments have limited effectiveness, and snow, ice, and wet weather will reduce any potential benefits. The City of Missoula complies with all safety regulations regarding the use of chemicals in the environment, to protect people, animals, plants, and groundwater.

Missoula Animal Control Director Jeff Darrah says all dogs should be vaccinated against parvovirus. "Parvo can be deadly to puppies and adult dogs that are unvaccinated. Dogs should complete the entire vaccine series before joining "public spaces," and for most puppies, that will be at 16 weeks," Darrah said. "Taking a young or unvaccinated dog into any public situation is contrary to the advice of the American Veterinary Medical Association."

Parks and Recreation Director Donna Gaukler reminds pet owners that while sanitation treatments may reduce the risk of parvovirus at MRL Park, it is impossible to eliminate it. The virus is found everywhere dogs congregate and can survive for months on living things, or even on objects like furniture, toys, and carpets. "By far, the best way to protect your pet is with the parvovirus vaccine," Gaukler said.

Parvovirus and many other deadly canine and human diseases are spread through contact with animal waste. Dog waste is full of E. coli, salmonella and is a common carrier of worms, parvovirus, coronavirus, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, and campylobacteriosis. These bacteria and parasites can linger on surfaces and in the soil for months, regardless of the climate. If you do not pick up after your dog, you are putting people and pets at risk, and you are polluting our community’s groundwater.

For more information about parvovirus, please contact your pet care professional. Dog parks at FMRP and Hellgate, Playfair, Jacob’s Island Parks remain open to healthy, vaccinated dogs over four months of age. For more information about MRL Dog Park, call 721-PARK (7275.)

This press release was produced by the City of Missoula. The views expressed here are the author’s own.