Community Corner

Speak Out: Are Tighter Regulations Needed for Stores That Sell Pets?

Puppy dies after family purchase at Fairfax City store. Tell us what you think.

By Jennifer Van Der Kleut

Fairfax City Mayor Scott Silverthorne is exploring options the city may have for regulating pet/animal businesses after a puppy a local family purchased at a pet store here died of a virus barely 36 hours after they brought him home.

Suzanne and Tom Higgs helped their son purchase Snoopy, an 11-week-old dachshund puppy, from Petland in Fairfax City a little over a week ago, WJLA reports.

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The Higgs were told by Petland's owners that Snoopy had been given a "clean bill of health" by a certified veterinarian when they purchased him, and he had been given routine vaccinations, including a vaccine for parvovirus.

However, it's possible those vaccinations may have been too late, and that the puppy may have already been sick with parvovirus, a deadly virus that attacks the animal's digestive system.

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Less than 24 hours after bringing him home, Snoopy was sick; 36 hours later, Snoopy was dead, according to WJLA.

Explanations seem to conflict. Petland owners reportedly told the Higgs family that the puppy must have contracted parvovirus from the vaccination itself. However, veterinarian Katy Nelson told WJLA that it is not possible to contract the virus from the vaccination.

“It's my opinion this disease was already on board and it turned into an active state of the disease,” Nelson told WJLA.

Silverthorne said the incident concerns him, and that he plans to explore options the city has for regulating such businesses.

"I plan to ask our staff what authority we have to tighten regulations – or seek additional state legislative authority to regulate these types of facilities," Silverthorne told Patch.

What's your take on this incident? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


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