Canine influenza virus (CIV) causes respiratory disease that can spread rapidly through shelters and kennels, creating significant welfare challenges in group dog housing settings.
CIV outbreaks in shelters create multiple overlapping welfare harms: directly affected dogs experience fever, nasal discharge, cough, and in severe cases dyspnoea and pneumonia. Isolation of affected animals increases confinement stress. Shelter closures prevent new intake, leaving homeless animals outside the safety net longer. The financial and operational burden of outbreaks diverts resources from welfare programmes. Preventive vaccination, strict biosecurity protocols, and clear outbreak response plans minimise the scale of welfare impact when CIV enters a facility. Early detection through PCR testing allows targeted isolation and prevents facility-wide spread.