The death of a dog from Parvovirus at the Wellington Shire Council Pound at the weekend was regrettable and is now being further investigated by the council, manager of environmental services Damien Rindfleish said.
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A white female mastiff cross was deposited at the Wellington pound some time prior to 7am Saturday morning and on discovery by staff soon after was cared for, he said.
"Preliminary investigations reveal the dog had been dumped in a surrender cage at the pound in a poor condition and subsequently died between 10am and 4pm on Sunday, April 14,"?Mr Rindfleish said.
"The cause of death, Parvovirus, was confirmed by a post mortem undertaken by a local veterinarian on Monday."
The dog's death generated an outpouring of grief; more than 400 likes and 200 comments were placed on a photo posted to the Daily Liberal's facebook page.
Mr Rindfleish said the incident was regrettable and Parvovirus was a significant issue in the Wellington community.
He said people needed to be aware of the danger and have their pets vaccinated if possible.
Wellington Shire Council general manager Michael Tolhurst said, "Wellington Council takes its responsibilities in this area seriously and had identified in its draft 2013/14 budget the requirement for additional funds to improve the amenity of the pound facility."
"The RSPCA is assisting council with advice on the development of these improvements. The council is also reviewing the outcomes of the NSW Companion Animals Taskforce Report and will welcome guidance from the state government on these matters.
"The recommendations of the NSW Companion Animals Taskforce Report relating to a community-wide socially responsible pet ownership education campaign should be welcomed by people in the community as it will help reduce the circumstances arising that lead to such animal deaths."