MOSES LAKE - Approximately 90 percent of dogs at the Grant County Animal Outreach animal shelter are infected with illnesses causing a temporary closure.

Dogs began to show signs of illness last week, leading to the temporary closure of the shelter last Monday, Outreach Public Awareness and Education Director Melody Sheriff said. The animals with the most severe symptoms exhibited coughing, thick nasal discharge and were lethargic. Some of the animals have diarrhea.

Twelve dogs either died from the diseases or were euthanized due to extreme symptoms causing immense pain, she said.

Shelter staff became aware of the problem when a woman who adopted a hound named Booker told the shelter the animal was ill. The woman kept the dog and its health is improving after treatment through a private veterinarian, Sheriff said.

The initial diagnosis of the ill shelter dogs was reported to be influenza but was later believed to be something else.

The shelter called in several experts to solve the problem, she said. On Thursday a specialist from the Washington State University veterinarian program took a tour of the shelter to witness the symptoms firsthand.

Sheriff said the specialist does not think the animals contracted influenza and it does not appear to be distemper.

Another specialist from Moses Lake Veterinary Clinic advised there have not been any confirmed cases of canine influenza documented in Washington and distemper is very uncommon, according to Sheriff. The specialist said it's possible the animals are dealing with more than one disease.

Sheriff said the sick dogs at the shelter are being treated with penicillin shots and appear to be responding well. She said the health of the dogs is improving.

The shelter was expected to reopen Wednesday but due to new cases of illness surfacing, it will remain closed until the infection stops and a proper diagnosis is given, she said. During the closure, animal shelter employees are sanitizing kennels and changing their clothes before they leave the shelter to prevent contamination.

"This is the best prevention measure for everyone, although we know it is inconvenient," she said. "The cats are not affected by this illness, but customers that would travel in and out of the shelter to see them could potentially carry airborne contaminants home to their dogs, and this is what we are seeking to avoid at this point. Shelters with far more resources, both money and staff, deal with these issues daily. It is not a localized problem."

Results from preliminary tests done on deceased animals and live animals are expected soon and will allow for a better understanding of how to handle the outbreak, Sheriff said.