Bucktown resident Gina Carr exercises her dog, Charlie, in Churchill Park on Monday. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
FOREST GLEN — Chicago Canine Rescue, a shelter, is closed indefinitely after one of their dogs came down with the flu that has sickened thousands of animals and killed a half-dozen pets, officials said.
Jasmine, a dog that was adopted from the no-kill shelter at 5272 N. Elston Ave. eight years ago, was returned to the shelter after spending some time in a local boarding facility where she caught the contagious respiratory virus, officials said in a message to supporters and volunteers.
"Jasmine was immediately isolated and a quarantine protocol enacted," officials wrote. "Sadly, because of the need to act as aggressively as possible to contain any possible spread of the disease within our shelter and our community, we have decided to close our shelter to the public until further notice."
The shelter is closed for adoptions — unless the animal is now in a foster home — and for volunteer dog walking and in-shelter dog socialization until its veterinarians say it is safe to reopen, officials said.
The Forest Glen shelter specializes in helping find new homes for dogs and cats that are slated for euthanasia because they are too old, too young, too injured, have disabilities or have simply been overlooked at other shelters, officials said.
Instead of helping with the animals, Chicago Canine Rescue officials are asking dog lovers and volunteers to donate supplies, including Lysol Aerosol Spray, hospital gowns and shoe covers, Pedialyte, meat-flavored baby food without onion powder, bleach, disposable exam gloves and money to buy specialty medications to fight the flu.
Approximately 1,700 dogs have contracted the highly contagious flu in Cook County as of May 1, an increase of about 500 cases in two weeks.
Six dogs have died from complications of the virus since the first cases were reported in January, officials said.
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