Mayor W. Reed Gusciora announced yesterday that following an uptick in the deadly canine disease Parvovirus, the Trenton Animal Shelter and Trenton Animals Rock will offer free Parvo vaccines for Trenton resident dogs.

The clinics will be every Thursday and Friday from June 24, 2021 through the end of July between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at the Animal Shelter on 72 Escher Street in Trenton. No appointment necessary. Residents should bring all current vaccination information if any is available and proof of residency.

“We’ve seen an uptick in documented Parvo cases in the past few weeks,” said Mayor Gusciora. “The City of Trenton and Trenton Animals Rock encourages all dog owners to vaccinate their canine companions against the virus, especially as the warm weather leads to more residents congregating together outside with their dogs.”

The fecal-borne virus can live on various surfaces for weeks to months and attacks the gastrointestinal system and bone marrow of infected dogs. While infection from Parvo is easily preventable through vaccination, untreated infections face a 90 percent mortality rate.

So far, at least a dozen dogs in the Capital City – mostly puppies under six months of age – have been infected with Parvo. At least eight have been hospitalized. The warning signs include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, fever, and lethargy. Puppies under six months of age are especially vulnerable to Parvo.

At over $3,000 per case, Parvo is very expensive to treat, but can be avoided with a vaccine. Vaccines are administered in a series of three shots over 12 weeks.

Trenton Animals Rock is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that has worked with the City of Trenton since June 2018. It provides funding for medical care, training, and boarding for injured, abandoned, and abused dogs, and is the key entity connecting homeless dogs to households throughout New Jersey and beyond.

Since Trenton Animals Rock began managing the shelter’s behavior assessment and foster program in June 2019, the euthanasia rate at the shelter decreased from 47 percent to less than 10 percent, putting the shelter on track to become a no-kill shelter for the first time.

Any residents with questions about Parvo or the vaccine can contact Officer Jose Munoz at 609-989-3254 or jmunoz@trentonnj.org.