WINTERSVILLE — As a precaution and until further notice, the Jefferson County Animal Shelter in Wintersville temporarily closed its doors to the public because of a confirmed COVID-19 case in an employee.

“The shelter was professionally cleaned before employees were back,” Brandi Damewood, community outreach manager for the Jefferson County Humane Society, said Wednesday. “We’re taking everyone’s health very seriously, which is why it was decided to close to the public to vastly eliminate risk of spread. It is our duty to protect our community in any way we can.”

Plans are to reopen the facility to the public around Nov. 20, but a formal announcement will come sometime next week as that projected date for resuming operations nears, according to Damewood.

“During this time, we are taking phone calls, but please leave a detailed message if you get the voicemail,” Damewood urged, noting the number to call is 740-314-5583.

“We are working with fewer employees in the building, but every call will be answered. We are still taking humane case calls of suspected animal cruelty, and the dog warden is still picking up stray dogs,” she added. “We just can’t take in owner-surrendered pets, and we cannot facilitate adoptions until reopening to the public.”

“This has been a challenging year, but with our amazing community, we are still able to save more and more lives,” she said.

Since Jan. 1, the humane society has logged 386 calls investigated, 86 warnings issued, eight cases pending prosecution and one case completed with full prosecution. The calls, Damewood noted, resulted in 161 cats, dogs, rabbits and birds brought into the shelter’s care. She commended concerned people who saw something and said something.

“One phone call can be the difference between life and death,” she stressed.

A record number of pets have been fostered this year, with the tally reaching 558 since Jan. 1.

“This has helped us care for more pets in need,” Damewood pointed out, adding that adoptions for the year so far total 1,290.

Veterinary care at a cost of about $52,000 has been provided this year for shelter pets, according to Damewood.

“Every pet is treated with preventive care and comprehensive care,” she noted. “We don’t euthanize, so veterinary care is essential and has given many pets a chance of finally getting medically treated for ailments they may have been struggling with for a while. This year brought numerous pets that suffered broken bones that were never treated and healed incorrectly, causing deformity and pain. We have treated a large number of heartworm-positive dogs, and that number keeps increasing each year. Lyme disease, eye surgeries, reconstructive surgeries, bladder stones, tumors, skin disorders, allergies, upper respiratory infections, hypothyroidism, heart disease, the list is endless,” she added of the ailments treated. “We thank all of you for your dedication to saving lives by our side. Together, we are making a difference.”