The Regina Humane Society is reporting it’s almost in the clear after two cats at the animal shelter were confirmed to have contracted ringworm, a fungal skin infection.
The two cats have since been euthanized, according to communications director Bill Thorn.
“In this case unfortunately, euthanasia was the end result for the two cats,” he said.
Thorn said the humane society’s staff tested 47 cats they believed may have contracted the fungal spores. Only two of those 47 had positive test results.
“It’s going to happen. It’s inevitable. It’s not something that doesn’t happen. It’s a fairly regular thing that we have to deal with,” he said, referencing diseases.
Adoptions were and still are open to the public, including at the time when the animal shelter first learned of the infection. That was Wednesday of last week, Thorn said.
Two of the four cat adoption rooms had to be closed for cleaning.
Other cats kept in separate areas and dogs at the shelter weren’t tested because they weren’t in the affected area or in contact with the infected animals, Thorn said.
He said given the close quarters in which animals live at the shelter, the two cats weren’t deemed acceptable and posed a high chance of spreading the fungus to other animals. As a result, euthanasia was the only option.
Thorn said the shelter is now waiting for one last test result to confirm that no other animals have contracted the fungus. He said staff is expecting that result this week.
For now, one cat adoption room at the shelter remains closed off, he said. It’s expected that room will open up within the next couple of days.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an amended version of the story, correcting the headline and the context of one of Bill Thorn’s comments.