Temple Terrace sisters caring for critically sick dogs after two others die from illness

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. - Months after the mystery canine respiratory virus made headlines across the country, two Temple Terrace sisters are coping with the death of two of their dogs, while seven others are critically sick. 

Karen and Sharen Usry adopted elderly and disabled dogs from local shelters as their passion project in retirement. 

"Since 2017, I think it’s been 15 dogs, and we’ve had to put them all down, and now we have 9," Karen said. "They're just amazing, especially the older ones that you rescue from the pound, because they know you’re there to take them home and be their forever parent."

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It was a labor of love until recently, when caring for them became a full-time job with negative profit.

"It’s very frustrating. My sister and I are both on disability, so I’m fast approaching what I make annually with vet bills. Up to $18,000," Karen said. 

The sisters spent that much money just in the past week after adopting a small elderly dog from a local shelter two weeks ago. Karen took it to their vet and got back a clean bill of health. 

That was until a couple of days later, when the dog began to cough uncontrollably. Shortly after, all nine of their dogs showed symptoms. 

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"They’re coughing, they’re vomiting, sometimes they’re shaking," Karen said.

Last weekend, one of their nine dogs suddenly died. She said, 

"Her name was Marina. We had had her for a year, and she was only 10," Karen said. "When we took her to Blue Pearl they told us she wasn’t able to sustain life, but they tried to help her." 

Then last Tuesday, Bruno, an Italian Greyhound that Karen grew close to, had to be put down. 

"I had to watch the light leave his eyes, and we had to put him down, so it’s been very difficult," she said. 

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A third dog has been staying overnight on oxygen at a local emergency vet hospital. While the other six are in a makeshift playpen incubator that the twins hooked two vaporizers to.

"It's definitely still around, we definitely still need to use caution," said Dr. Ellen Buerkett with Beacon Veterinary.  

Last month, the American Veterinary Medical Association reported a drop in cases, but noted that there are still many unanswered questions about it. 

"What is unfortunate is there is a lot that we don’t know. We don’t know if this is a new bacterial agent, or it’s a spin on the classic kennel cough," Buerkett said. "It’s something that we have to take seriously and address quickly and promptly."

If your pet is experiencing symptoms, contact your vet immediately and isolate your pet from other animals in your house. 

"The good news is most of the pets that are diagnosed with this can recover from this at home," she said. "It does not usually progress to something life-threatening."

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