Fearing Distemper Outbreak At City Pound, No-Kill Shelter Asks Volunteers To Foster Cats
(CBS) -- PAWS Chicago is trying to find foster homes for cats from the city's Animal Care and Control Department, now that there is a potential for feline distemper to spread at the city pound.
It's not clear exactly how big the issue is, but WBBM has confirmed that the potential is there for cats in the city's care to be exposed to the highly contagious feline distemper.
The virus can be deadly, though there is a cure.
The no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago is trying to get people to foster cats from the city pound to get them away from any potential exposure.
"It's lifesaving. We can get those animals out. We can save them," says PAWS founder Paula Fasseas. She says the cats need to be fostered for a week to make sure they don't "break" -- or come down with the virus.
"As soon as the seven days is up and they don't break, obviously we'll continue vaccinating and neutering and we'll get them into our adoption center," she says.
Anyone interested in fostering can email foster@pawschicago.org or go to the PAWS website for more information.