Attention Costa Rica Dog Owners in Central Pacific

DISTEMPER IS EXTREMELY CONTAGIOUS AND MOSTLY DEADLY. Please separate your animal from other dogs

There is still a frightening number of distemper cases in the area spanning Tarcoles to Hermosa on Costa Rica's Central pacific. Every day many dogs are dying because of this highly contagious disease.
 
 McKee Project Jaco was able to buy 100 tests for diagnosing distemper. This was done to insure a 100% correct diagnosis, as obviously nobody wants to euthanize their animal based on a “maybe, possibly” diagnosis. Well, what is happening now is even with a 100% positive test result showing the distemper virus, many owners take the infected animal back home and “pray for a miracle”.
 
 Due to the nearly non-existent survival rate of this disease, coupled with the collateral damage it inflicts on the animal, this option is a very bad choice. And the real tragedy is caused by the animal’s owners - most, if not all of them let the infected animals roam free instead of separating them from other dogs. So they roam around and infect all the other animals in the area where they live – this is now BIG TIME tragedy.
 
 I was told that with the conditions like we have down here this epidemic will go on for approximately 6 months. But considering the irresponsible acts of so many individuals here, I am afraid that it could take even longer. So please consider the following: DISTEMPER IS EXTREMELY CONTAGIOUS AND MOSTLY DEADLY. If you decide to try any of the “miracle treatments”, please separate your animal from other dogs, and be aware of the long term effects of this disease, which can turn up months or even years later as convulsions and/or damage to the nervous system.

And please, please don’t let your animal suffer – “waiting and hoping” is not effective and not humane.

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