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LEE PERLMAN
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO
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| At the opening of the public fenced, off-leash dog park in August, are a man and his dog. This was the only day the facility was open to the public without proof of vaccinations, which current users are obligated to present. Some say unnecessary vaccinations; Banfield, the Pet Hospital® reps say they’re necessary to protect all users. |
| MEMO PHOTO: TIM CURRAN |
Civic leaders, including former Mayor Vera Katz and her then-aide and current City Commissioner Sam Adams, praised the international pet hospital chain for this civic gesture. Last August, on opening day of the facility, the gates were thrown open and the park was soon full of dogs, both large and small, playing and cavorting with each other.
Now, with the park in operation for three months, some owners have found access to the facility to be more difficult than they expected. Banfield provides a card key to a gatehouse on Northeast Tillamook Street west of 82nd Avenue, and those who possess one can come any day, any time from sunrise to sunset, let their pets loose in one of four fenced play areas, and wait for them in a shelter that includes a bathroom for humans and a washing sink for dogs. However, owners must first show that their dogs have been inoculated for eight different diseases. The list includes rabies and distemper, and few would dispute it is prudent to vaccinate all dogs for these. However, they also require shots for Lyme Disease, Leptospirosis and Giardia.
Dog owner Carol Lesh told the Memo, “I thought my dog already had all the shots needed. My vet doesn’t even give some of the ones they asked for.” When she consulted another clinic, Lesh said, she was told, “We’ll do this if you insist, but we don’t recommend it.”
Dr. Ed Loebach of Banfield conceded, “This continues to be a contentious subject within the veterinary community.”
With regard to Lyme Disease, Lesh was told that the ticks that carry this disease are not ordinarily found in Portland. Loebach responded, “I’ve personally seen small white poodles, that their owners say never leave their yard, infected with this disease.” Ticks are present in other parts of the state, and 40 percent of dog and cat owners take their pets with them when they travel, he said.
Lesh was told some dogs have a negative reaction to the Leptospirosis vaccine. Banfield officials say the chances of this are no greater than the chances of getting the disease. “It’s a very dangerous viral infection that can cause death,” Loebach said. “Because of the concerns about the reaction, and the reluctance to use the vaccine, we’re seeing a resurgence of the disease.”
Inoculations are ineffective against Giardia, Lesh was told. Loebach said that the bacteria that causes the disease, “a nasty gastrointestinal infection, can survive in the soil for months.” It is also a water-borne disease, and the park has a water feature that children, as well as dogs, play in during the summer.
As far as Banfield is concerned, the three shots are “necessary and warranted,” Loebach said.
If pet owners’ local veterinarians can’t or won’t administer the shots, Banfield will do so without requiring the owner to enroll in its program. If they come during special “healthy pet” hours, the cost would be $65 for the three shots; otherwise there would be an additional $30 fee.
Banfield patient advocate Dr. Karen Johnson conceded that in all of the Portland Park Bureau’s off-leash dog areas, there is no screening and no qualifications for use whatsoever. “We are trying to make this a world-class model,” she said.
In other Banfield news, it collected 500,000 pounds of donated pet food nationally, through its Season of Suppers campaign, to distribute to Meals-On-Wheels recipients, some of whom go hungry in order to pay to feed their pets. In Portland, Banfield collected 10,000 pounds.
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