deaths

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
Dog death toll mounts as contagious canine virus spreads across Windsor
Author of the article:Trevor Wilhelm
Published Dec 17, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read

A highly contagious and deadly dog virus has spread beyond its downtown Windsor ground zero and has now claimed the lives of 14 dogs, with 21 more now in quarantine


After vaccinating 65 dogs over the weekend in the Glengarry neighbourhood, animal welfare officials are planning more mobile clinics elsewhere in Windsor to try and stem the surge of canine parvovirus.

“It is an infectious disease, it can spread easily,” Lynnette Bain, executive director of the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society, told the Star Monday.

“Some people are taking their dogs into parks and walking them down the street. That’s how it is transported from animal to animal.”

The local humane society has been joined by Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services (AWS) and the Hamilton-Burlington Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the fight.

They set up a mobile vaccination clinic on Saturday at 333 Glengarry Ave., where it’s believed the outbreak began.


The Star first reported last week that canine parvovirus had suddenly started rippling through the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation’s Glengarry apartment buildings.

At the time, one dog was confirmed dead from the virus. The case count has since swelled.

“To date, AWS has removed 21 dogs which were either sick or at risk of becoming sick,” Brent Ross, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General, told the Star in an email on Monday.

“AWS is aware of 14 dogs having passed away, some of which died prior to AWS engagement. The total number of infected dogs remains unknown.”

Ross also confirmed the virus appears to be spreading beyond the initial hot spot.

“AWS is aware of more cases of parvovirus concerns in the community and is working with humane society partners to hold additional clinics in partnership Windsor-Essex Humane Society and Hamilton-Burlington SPCA,” he said.


The times and locations of the additional clinics had not been confirmed by the Star’s Tuesday print deadline.

“We’re going to be regrouping on the next steps,” said Bain. “Sixty-five dogs were vaccinated, but we know the population is larger. We obviously want to get more. And some dogs will need to be boosted. Once they get their first set of vaccines they will need a booster if they’ve never been vaccinated before.”

Canine parvovirus is one of the most serious viruses affecting dogs. It’s extremely contagious, and particularly dangerous to puppies and unvaccinated pets. The death rate is high in untreated cases.

Symptoms include vomiting, fever, diarrhea, lethargy, lack of appetite and weight loss.

The virus spreads easily through contact with infected dogs, direct or indirect contact with feces from infected dogs or contact with other virus-contaminated surfaces.


Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services, which is leading the response, called in the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA because it has a special licence for a mobile vaccination clinic.

The Windsor/Essex County Humane Society does not have such a licence. Bain said waiting for the Windsor humane society to acquire the licence would have wasted precious time in the middle of a fast-spreading outbreak.

“Having a collaborative effort is really important,” she said. “It’s not something you can snuff out in one attempt. It’s outreach, education, providing access to care.

“It’s a complicated thing. There’s no one silver bullet. But it’s multiple agencies working together to improve the landscape.”

Aside from vaccination, Ross said there are several ways dog owners can protect their pets. Those measures include picking up after your dog and keeping your animal clean.


He said pet owners should avoid dog parks, boarding facilities, and any other place they feel is “unclean” or where pets could encounter unvaccinated animals.



Also avoid sharing equipment like dog bowls, toys, and grooming tools, he said.

Animal Welfare Services is also “strongly recommending” that concerned dog owners immediately reach out to their veterinarian.

“Prevention is key in protecting dogs from this disease,” said Ross.

twilhelm@postmedia.com
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
Dog owners in Windsor warned of deadly parvovirus
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Liam Casey
Published Dec 18, 2024 • 1 minute read

Ontario is warning dog owners in downtown Windsor about a viral outbreak that has left more than a dozen pets dead.


The province’s Animal Welfare Services says concerned dog owners should check in with their veterinarians amid a parvovirus outbreak.

Chief Animal Welfare Inspector Melanie Milczynski says 14 dogs have died so far and 21 dogs were either sick or at risk of becoming sick.

Milczynski says 65 dogs were vaccinated during a recent clinic and owners need to act quickly if they suspect something is amiss with their dogs.

She says parvovirus can progress quickly without treatment.

Milczynski says owners should ensure their dogs are up to date with their vaccinations as it is a preventable disease.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2024.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Dixie Cup

Dixie Cup

Senate Member
Sep 16, 2006
6,053
3,840
113
Edmonton
Dog owners in Windsor warned of deadly parvovirus
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Liam Casey
Published Dec 18, 2024 • 1 minute read

Ontario is warning dog owners in downtown Windsor about a viral outbreak that has left more than a dozen pets dead.


The province’s Animal Welfare Services says concerned dog owners should check in with their veterinarians amid a parvovirus outbreak.

Chief Animal Welfare Inspector Melanie Milczynski says 14 dogs have died so far and 21 dogs were either sick or at risk of becoming sick.

Milczynski says 65 dogs were vaccinated during a recent clinic and owners need to act quickly if they suspect something is amiss with their dogs.

She says parvovirus can progress quickly without treatment.

Milczynski says owners should ensure their dogs are up to date with their vaccinations as it is a preventable disease.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2024.
Why wouldn't a person vaccinate their pets? If expense is the issue, in Edmonton at least, you can get a prescription from the vet & go to a pharmacy specifically for animals & get the vax & give it to them yourself. It's WAAAYYYY cheaper! Perhaps other cities don't have such a place??
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
114,043
13,067
113
Low Earth Orbit
Why wouldn't a person vaccinate their pets? If expense is the issue, in Edmonton at least, you can get a prescription from the vet & go to a pharmacy specifically for animals & get the vax & give it to them yourself. It's WAAAYYYY cheaper! Perhaps other cities don't have such a place??
Peavy Mart
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
Consumer alert issued after liquid-burning firepit blamed for couple's death
Author of the article:postmedia News
Published Dec 22, 2024 • 2 minute read

Liquid-burning firepits reportedly led to the death of a New Hampshire couple and injured others.
Liquid-burning firepits reportedly led to the death of a New Hampshire couple and injured others.
A liquid-burning firepit reportedly led to the death of a New Hampshire couple, while other incidents have injured dozens of other people.


Last Thursday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a consumer alert pointing to the popular portable liquid-burning firepits being a “hazard” to consumers. The products “violate the requirements in voluntary safety standard ASTM F3363-19,” the alert said.

“Stop using alcohol or other liquid-burning firepits that violate voluntary standards and present flame jetting and fire hazards,” the message from the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. “Consumers should immediately stop using and dispose of these products. Sellers should stop selling these products.”

In June, New Hampshire residents Herm and Thelma Stolzenburg were both engulfed in flames after a tabletop firepit shot out flames as they were sitting with family, CBS News reported, per People.



The couple, who were both 93, died a week later after the fire left them with severe third-degree burns, the outlet said.

“All of a sudden, these flames shot out and like a blow torch is all I describe it as. That totally took over both my parents’ bodies,” daughter Dee McEneaney told CBS affiliate WBZ-TV a month after her parents’ death.

The Stolzenburgs weren’t the only ones severely burned by the firepits. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said in its alert that there had been at least 60 injuries since 2019.


CBS News said that Katelyn Little of Massachusetts also found herself engulfed in flames, but survived.

Little told WBZ-TV that after setting up the firepit, she had to jump into the nearby pool to put out the flames. She was hospitalized with second- and third-degree burns.

“I was there for a total of four days being treated by the burn unit with daily dressing changes and soaks and I didn’t get out of bed for four days. I couldn’t walk. It was just, it was horrible,” Little told the outlet.

On Oct. 17, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled close to 90,000 Colsen-branded firepits after dozens of people reported similar burn injuries.
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
Consumer alert issued after liquid-burning firepit blamed for couple's death
Author of the article:postmedia News
Published Dec 22, 2024 • 2 minute read

Liquid-burning firepits reportedly led to the death of a New Hampshire couple and injured others.
Liquid-burning firepits reportedly led to the death of a New Hampshire couple and injured others.
A liquid-burning firepit reportedly led to the death of a New Hampshire couple, while other incidents have injured dozens of other people.


Last Thursday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a consumer alert pointing to the popular portable liquid-burning firepits being a “hazard” to consumers. The products “violate the requirements in voluntary safety standard ASTM F3363-19,” the alert said.

“Stop using alcohol or other liquid-burning firepits that violate voluntary standards and present flame jetting and fire hazards,” the message from the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. “Consumers should immediately stop using and dispose of these products. Sellers should stop selling these products.”

In June, New Hampshire residents Herm and Thelma Stolzenburg were both engulfed in flames after a tabletop firepit shot out flames as they were sitting with family, CBS News reported, per People.



The couple, who were both 93, died a week later after the fire left them with severe third-degree burns, the outlet said.

“All of a sudden, these flames shot out and like a blow torch is all I describe it as. That totally took over both my parents’ bodies,” daughter Dee McEneaney told CBS affiliate WBZ-TV a month after her parents’ death.

The Stolzenburgs weren’t the only ones severely burned by the firepits. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said in its alert that there had been at least 60 injuries since 2019.


CBS News said that Katelyn Little of Massachusetts also found herself engulfed in flames, but survived.

Little told WBZ-TV that after setting up the firepit, she had to jump into the nearby pool to put out the flames. She was hospitalized with second- and third-degree burns.

“I was there for a total of four days being treated by the burn unit with daily dressing changes and soaks and I didn’t get out of bed for four days. I couldn’t walk. It was just, it was horrible,” Little told the outlet.

On Oct. 17, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled close to 90,000 Colsen-branded firepits after dozens of people reported similar burn injuries.
might be a good idea not to use this to roast anything. ;) 🌰
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
Oregon house cat died after eating pet food that tested positive for bird flu
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Dec 25, 2024 • 2 minute read

An Oregon house cat died after eating pet food that tested positive for bird flu, Oregon authorities said, prompting a recall.
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon house cat died after eating pet food that tested positive for bird flu, Oregon authorities said, prompting a recall of raw frozen pet food that was sold across the continent.


Northwest Naturals, a pet food company based in Portland, Ore., said Tuesday it had voluntarily recalled one batch of its two-pound Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it tested positive for the virus. The product was sold through distributors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, as well as British Columbia.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” Oregon Department of Agriculture state veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said in a Tuesday news release. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”


The recalled product is packaged in two-pound plastic bags with “best if used by” dates of May 21, 2026, and June 23, 2026. The company and Oregon authorities said that consumers who bought the recalled product should throw it away immediately and contact the place of purchase for a refund.



No human cases of bird flu have been linked to the incident, but those who were in contact with the cat are being monitored for flu symptoms, Oregon authorities said.

More than 60 people in eight states have been infected, with mostly mild illnesses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with the nation’s first known severe illness caused by the virus, health officials said last week.

So far, the CDC has confirmed one human case of bird flu in Oregon. The person was linked to a previously reported outbreak at a commercial poultry operation and fully recovered after experiencing mild illness, according to a November news release from the Oregon Health Authority.

In late October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that a pig at a backyard farm in Oregon was found to have bird flu, marking the first detection of the virus in U.S. swine.
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
2 Oregon men die from exposure in forest after Sasquatch search
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Dec 29, 2024 • 1 minute read

STEVENSON, Wash. — Two Oregon men were found dead in a Washington state forest after they failed to return from a trip to look for Sasquatch, authorities said Saturday.


The 59-year-old and 37-year-old appear to have died from exposure, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said via Facebook. The weather and the men’s lack of preparedness led the office to draw that conclusion, it said.

Sasquatch is a folkloric beast thought by some to roam the forests, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

The two men were found in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is about 240 kilometres northeast of Portland.

A family member reported them missing at around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day after they failed to return from a Christmas Eve outing.

Sixty volunteer search-and-rescue personnel helped in the three-day search, including canine, drone and ground teams. The Coast Guard used infrared technology to search from the air.

Authorities used camera recordings to locate the vehicle used by the pair off Oklahoma Road near Willard, which is on the southern border of the national forest.
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
2 Oregon men die from exposure in forest after Sasquatch search
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Dec 29, 2024 • 1 minute read

STEVENSON, Wash. — Two Oregon men were found dead in a Washington state forest after they failed to return from a trip to look for Sasquatch, authorities said Saturday.


The 59-year-old and 37-year-old appear to have died from exposure, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said via Facebook. The weather and the men’s lack of preparedness led the office to draw that conclusion, it said.

Sasquatch is a folkloric beast thought by some to roam the forests, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

The two men were found in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is about 240 kilometres northeast of Portland.

A family member reported them missing at around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day after they failed to return from a Christmas Eve outing.

Sixty volunteer search-and-rescue personnel helped in the three-day search, including canine, drone and ground teams. The Coast Guard used infrared technology to search from the air.

Authorities used camera recordings to locate the vehicle used by the pair off Oklahoma Road near Willard, which is on the southern border of the national forest.
maga -2 ;)
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
Hundreds of hogs die in farm fire at Hutterite colony in southern Alberta
Author of the article:Devika Desai
Published Jan 04, 2025 • Last updated 8 hours ago • 2 minute read

Hundreds of hogs died in a fire that blazed overnight on Thursday at a barn in a Hutterite colony in Nobleford in southern Alberta.


It’s unclear how the fire was caused, John Hofer, first minister for the Hutterian Brethren Church in White Lake Colony said on Saturday.

“We don’t know what happened,” he said.

“Around 10 p.m. in the evening, one of the boys was looking through the window and looked down at the hog barn and seen the fire going there,” he said. Despite phoning around and attempting to go to the barn to determine what had happened, there was little they could do.

“There was nothing we could do, we couldn’t go into the barn,” he said. “It happened so fast.”

All sows living in the barn died from the fire, he said, potentially due to suffocation.

“They’re all laying on the floor,” he said, as if they were sleeping. It’s unclear how many pigs died in the fire.


“When pigs get excited, they run to one corner and get tied up, but you can see today that all the pigs are laying and sleeping (as if) they went to bed.”

“One thing is they didn’t suffer one bit,” he continued. “I think as soon as it happened, they run out air and they suffocated and they just went to sleep.”

While a fire official told media that thousands of hogs died, Hofer put the number closer to 600.

The fire lasted until 3 a.m. early Friday morning. Fire crews from Nobleford & District Emergency Services received a 911 call around 10:30 p.m. Thursday night and arrived on scene to contain the fire. Support was called in from Picture Butte, Coalhurst and Coaldale, according to a report by Global News.

Frank West, fire chief for Picture Butte, confirmed they sent two units to assist with the fire.


Nobleford & District Emergency Services has been contacted for comment but had not responded in time for publication.
The fire, Hofer said, took “a lot of assets” from the community, by whom the barn was owned and operated. “We were depending a lot on the barn for the financial business of our farm and we did a lot of butchering,” he said.

Currently, 90 people live in the community, he said.

It’s unclear if the barn will be rebuilt or replaced with something else. The barn was insured with a firm in Manitoba and the community is currently in discussions with insurance representatives to determine how to respond to the fire.

“We can’t blame anybody because there was nobody there,” he said. The barn, he said, had been kept in good condition.

“It was not the neglect of the management,” he said.

ddesai@postmedia.com
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Dixie Cup

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
Hundreds of animals killed in Dallas shopping centre fire
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jan 04, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read

DALLAS — A fire that broke out at a shopping centre in Dallas on Friday morning killed more than 500 animals, most of which were small birds, authorities said.


The 579 animals in the pet shop at Plaza Latina in Northwest Dallas died from smoke inhalation, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jason Evans said in a statement.

The flames from the fire never reached the animals. Chickens, hamsters, two dogs and two cats also died, Evans said.

The two-alarm fire took about two hours and as many as 45 firefighters to extinguish around 11 a.m., Evans said.

“While DFR personnel did search and attempt rescue, all animals in the shop unfortunately perished due to smoke inhalation,” Evans said.



No people were injured in the fire. The structure of the large, one-story shopping centre was severely damaged, including a partially collapsed roof, Evans said.

The shopping centre includes multiple small businesses and was described on its Facebook page as “a place where people can go to eat, and buy all sorts of Latin goods and services.” A post on the page in Spanish asked for prayers for the families who work there.

The cause of the fire was not immediately determined and is under investigation, Evans said.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Dixie Cup

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
37,771
3,329
113
Montreal quietly killed 131 deer in its east-end parks
Cull was necessary to preserve ecosystems of the nature parks, city says

Author of the article:Montreal Gazette
Montreal Gazette
Michelle Lalonde
Published Jan 13, 2025 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read

The city of Montreal quietly undertook its promised cull of 131 deer in two east-end nature parks over nine days last fall, a spokesperson for the city has confirmed.


The frozen deer meat will be distributed among Montreal-area food banks, city spokesperson Camille Bégin told The Gazette.

The cull, announced last spring at a news conference by executive committee member Laurence Lavigne Lalonde, was carried out between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5 by a single professional sharpshooter using a rifle equipped with a silencer. The shooter took down 112 deer in the Pointe-aux-Prairies Nature Park and another 19 in the Anjou nature park.

Both parks were closed during the operation, and area residents had been warned to stay away via notices delivered to their doors and posters at the parks’ entrances.

“The city received no complaints about the operations, and thanks the population, its own teams and its partners for their collaboration for the smooth running of the operations,” Bégin said.


The operation was carried out in accordance with a permit issued by the provincial environment department. That permit specifies the maximum number of deer authorized per kilometre in these urban parks, given that their selective grazing over time damages the underbrush to the point where the ecosystem cannot regenerate. The deer are then deprived of food and tend to wander into neighbouring yards and gardens, crossing roads and often causing accidents.

At a news conference last June, Lavigne Lalonde explained that the population of white-tailed deer in the Pointe-aux-Prairies and Anjou nature parks had surged from 65 to 165 since 2021. Experts estimate these parks can accommodate only about a half-dozen deer per square kilometre and still maintain their native plants, tree canopy and other animal and bird species.


The Pointe-aux-Prairies Nature Park in the east-end borough of Rivière-des-Prairies—Pointe-aux-Trembles is a forest of about 2.6 square kilometres and harboured an estimated 140 deer before the cull. The Bois d’Anjou Nature Park, in the adjacent borough of Anjou, is about 1.7 square kilometres in area and had about 25 white-tailed deer.

With no predators in the area, the deer multiply quickly. Their selective and voracious grazing quickly deprives the forest of certain native plants, and then invasive species take over, disturbing a delicate balance required to preserve the ecosystem.

Montreal took years to study the problem before taking action. Efforts in other jurisdictions to tranquilize and then truck deer to other locations have ended with a large proportion of the deer dying during, or within a year following, transportation. Experiments with sterilizing deer continue, but this type of operation is expensive and takes time to produce results.


Montreal is not the only city dealing with an urban deer problem. The city of Longueuil had to fight a series of court battles to defend its right to reduce the deer population in Michel-Chartrand Park, a battle it finally won when a Superior Court judge confirmed that right in September 2023. Recently, that city announced the completion of its deer cull operations, during which the population of deer in the park was reduced by a total of 105 animals in two separate operations, one in late October and one in mid-December.

“Now that the control operation … has been completed, we are continuing our efforts to promote the restoration of the ecological balance of Michel-Chartrand Park,” Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier said in a news release.


The city will plant 600 trees and 10,000 native plants in the park this year to begin its regeneration.

Both cities are participating in a research project with the Quebec environment department called Parcs en Santé, which aims to find ways to keep deer populations under control, sustainably and humanely, into the future. One of the many objectives is to reduce the risk of disease transmitted by ticks. White-tailed deer are a known vector for ticks, which can cause lime disease in humans

Representatives of both cities acknowledged that future culls will probably be necessary as deer multiply quickly and have virtually no predators in these urban environments.

“Even if this is the end of the saga today, we have the responsibility to act in the long term to avoid reliving such a scenario in the future,“ Fournier said.

Asked if Montreal will hold another cull next fall, Bégin said: “The situation of the overpopulation of deer will be re-evaluated over the course of the year.”

She said the distribution of deer meat to food banks is being handled by an organization called Chausseurs généreux (Generous Hunters). That organization is based in the Lower Saint Lawrence region and since 2013 has been encouraging and helping hunters to donate a part of their game harvest to families in need.