HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Rebecka Roberts and Isaiah Ledford thought they would have many happy years of two dogs playing with their 10-month-old baby.
Instead, they got two weeks.
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“It was like everything we imagined. It was like our family was complete. And then it was ripped from us within a week,” Ledford told Channel 2′s Michael Doudna.
Two weeks ago, the family went to the Hall County animal shelter looking for a canine companion for their dog, Roxanne.
Ledford says they found Malachai at the shelter. Ledford says the months-old Huskey with crystal blue eyes was in good shape and was up to date on his shots.
“Just a clean bill of health,” Ledford said.
However, Hall County confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that one day after the family adopted Malachai, another dog at the shelter tested positive for Parvovirus.
The family says they never received a call or warning about a potential risk.
“We would have done everything differently,” Ledford said.
A couple of days after bringing Malachai home, both dogs stopped eating and started acting lethargic. The two dog parents say they instantly tried to help them.
“Staying up with them, trying to push fluids, trying to push anything in them we can, trying to make them feel better,” Ledford said.
It didn’t work. Roxanne passed away on Saturday, and on Tuesday, Malachai followed. A vet visit confirmed the diagnosis of parvovirus.
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“I was frustrated, I was confused, I was upset,” Roberts said.
In a statement, the county said:
“While our heart breaks for the family’s loss, this adoption took place prior to our knowledge of active Parvovirus cases in the shelter. Our highest priority remains the health and welfare of the animals in our community and in our care.”
Since the initial diagnosis, two other dogs in the shelter have tested for parvovirus and are currently in quarantine.
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