Brookhaven Animal Shelter Opens After Ringworm Outbreak

Brookhaven Town Animal Shelter has re-opened Monday after being closed since August 29 from a ringworm outbreak.

According to an announcement from the Town the animals housed in the shelter have been tested, and all animals were treated for ringworm regardless of whether they tested positive for the infection. The outbreak led to four dogs and 25 cats being euthanized as a result of the outbreak.

The shelter has been cleaned and disinfected, and staff personnel has issued the building a clean bill of health the Town said.

“All animal shelters run the risk of ringworm because so many of the animals that are brought in are strays. I commend our staff for taking action to control the spread of the disease and make the shelter once again safe for the animals and staff,” Ed Romaine, town supervisor, said in a release.

However Romaine also said that the shelter’s closure has led to an overcrowding problem, requiring a push for adoptions and redemptions.

To make this push, an existing fee waiver on adoption, spay, neuter and vaccination originally set to expire on Sept. 20 has been extended to Dec. 31. Adoption fees are typically between $5-$20 depending on whether an animal has been spayed or neutered.

Brookhaven Animal Shelter and Adoption Center is located at 300 Horseblock Road in Brookhaven. Its operating hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and is closed Sundays. The shelter can be called at 631-286-4940 and its website is www.brookhaven.org/animalshelter.