BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — According to Dawn Romero, the Outreach Coordinator with Unity K9 Express Rescue, there was a massive distemper outbreak in Kern County last year, and so to prevent another one they continued to vaccinate dogs, and puppies to help combat the spread.
“It's been better, but we are also starting to see a few cases, so we do want to be proactive, and so we will be doing free vaccines on Saturday the 21st from nine until two here at the F&M Fabrics on Niles,” said Romero.
Parvo is very common in puppies, which is why it is important to get them vaccinated immediately.
“It's very easily transmittable to young puppies, so we usually start vaccinating the puppies for parvo at six weeks, most vets will recommend going until 16 weeks, but we also go to 20 weeks because we are a very high risk area here in Kern County,” said Romero.
Romero says that while many are familiar with parvo, not many people know about distemper.
“They will have seizures, they won’t be able to walk, they can’t stand up, it’s absolutely heartbreaking to see a dog with distemper,” said Romero.
As bad as distemper can be for puppies, Romero says it can also impact dogs all the way up to the age of eight years old, so vaccines should be a priority.
“The vaccine portion is very effective, usually within a couple of hours to even three to five days with that first vaccine they have complete immunity for distemper,” said Romero.
There will be a walk up clinic for those that are not able to drive in, and Romero says it is fairly quick, and can be done in just minutes.
Romero also hopes that this event will raise awareness for parvo and distemper.
“Investing in vaccines in Bakersfield and Kern County it makes sense for them because if we can cut down the number of distemper it’s also going to cut down on their vet bills,” said Romero.
The event will be at F&M Fabrics on Niles street, and Romero says the clinic is targeting residents with dogs in Arvin and Lamont and residents with zip codes 93301, 93304, 93305, 93306, 93307, and 93308, but if anyone needs the vaccine for their dog they will be more than willing to help.
