Austin canine pneumovirus: APA moves 25 dogs, city seeks fosters

Austin Pets Alive Town Lake Animal Center in Austin, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. A man broke into the animal shelter and released several dogs from their kennels.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Austin Animal Services confirmed it is fighting cases of canine pneumovirus, a highly contagious respiratory illness, at the city-run animal shelter. This outbreak led Austin Pets Alive! to announce Sunday that the community helped move 25 dogs out of the nonprofit’s shelter as it works with the city to mitigate the disease's spread.

Austin Animal Services said it is following national best practices used by shelters during similar outbreaks, including quarantining dogs, limiting movement and reducing crowding. APA! said 11 dogs went into foster homes and 14 were adopted after the organization began pulling dogs from Austin Animal Services to reduce population density and limit potential exposure to the respiratory virus, according to an APA! spokesperson.

“Ideally, people fostering (or adopting!) these dogs will have no other dogs in the home or can keep them in a separate space at first, out of an abundance of caution,” the organization said in a social media post. “We have confirmed the dogs we’re pulling are the lowest risk and have had the least exposure.”

Canine pneumovirus spreads through respiratory droplets, including coughing, barking or sneezing, and typically causes symptoms similar to a cold, including runny noses, coughing, fatigue and mild fever, Austin Animal Services said. The virus is highly contagious among dogs but is considered nonfatal and does not affect humans, cats or other animals. With proper care, widespread severe illness is not expected, officials said.

Austin Animal Services said the source of the virus is unknown, noting the shelter takes in a wide range of animals, many without medical histories, making it difficult to detect respiratory viruses during incubation periods. Officials said they have confirmed three lab-tested cases, along with several symptomatic dogs, and are operating under the assumption that all dogs in the shelter may have been exposed.

The shelter has entered a quarantine mode expected to last about three weeks, during which dogs’ movement is limited and public access is restricted. Volunteers and staff are discarding bedding, blankets and towels used by sick dogs as a precaution and are requesting donations of replacement supplies. While dog walking had been paused, officials expect to resume limited, managed walks to balance the dogs' enrichment with infection control.

Austin Animal Services said it is relying on partner organizations, including APA! and the Austin Humane Society, to create space so it can expand isolation areas and reduce crowding. Officials emphasized that while not all dogs will become ill, reducing density is critical to slowing the spread of the virus within the shelter and preventing transmission into the community.

APA! is asking residents to foster additional dogs already housed at its Town Lake Animal Center, 1156 W. Cesar Chavez St., so the nonprofit can take in more dogs from Austin Animal Services on Wednesday. Foster homes are ideally asked to commit for at least three weeks to allow time for monitoring and recovery while freeing up space at both shelters.

Residents interested in fostering can visit the Town Lake Animal Center during open hours from noon to 6 p.m. Those seeking faster placement can email matchmaker@austinpetsalive.org to be matched virtually and pick up a dog without waiting.

APA! is also offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” for all pets currently in the shelter or foster care, saying adoptions help reduce shelter density during the response period.