Dog licenses are now due

RUMFORD -- Dog licenses are now due, informed Town Manager Carlo Puiia at Thursday's meeting of the Board of Selectmen.

He said the cost is $6 if the dog has been spade or neutered, and $11 if not.

Puiia pointed out that failure to license by Feb. 1 will mean a $25 late fee per dog from the state.

In a related matter, he read a letter regarding an alert issued by the animal control officer, after several dogs in the downtown area have contracted Canine Parvovirus (CPV).

Parvo is a highly contagious virus that attacks the intestines and bone marrow of dogs. It primarily affects puppies and senior or sick dogs, but the majority of cases dealt with here have been healthy adult dogs, according to the animal control officer.

Cases of parvo have been found in dogs in Waldo, Cumberland and Falmouth streets, as well as Maine and Rumford avenues.

CPV is spread through the feces of an infected dog. A dog can be spreading the virus and not yet show signs of illness. CPV can live on the ground for several months to years, so any animals or people walking through the area can spread the virus rapidly.

If you own a dog in this area, or have had friends here with their dogs, the dogs need to be watched very closely for signs of severe vomiting and diarrhea, which is usually, but not always, bloody. If any dog shows signs they need to be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

The only treatment once a dog is infected is fluids and medications given by a veterinarian. This treatment is very expensive and if not caught in time will be fatal. If you walk your in the downtown area, you need to make sure it is up to date on all vaccinations and make sure you pick up feces after the dog has gone. This is also a chargeable offense to not clean up after your dog.

If your dog has not been previously vaccinated for distemper and parvovirus, you need to do so immediately. Any areas where a dog may have walked or had contact with an infected dog, clothing, food dishes, bedding, etc., must be cleaned with a solution of one cup of chlorine bleach in one gallon of water. There are no detergents available in stores that will kill the virus.

For more information, contact your veterinarian or your local animal control officer.

Puiia followed up by noting that he heard about someone from the Virginia section whose puppy contracted the virus.

In other business, selectmen voted unanimously to award the bid to install energy-efficient lighting in the library to Mountain Stream Electric of Byron.

The lowest of two bids at $6,450, Puiia said this was slightly less than they had expected.

He said the payback for the project is expected to be between two and two and a half years. "So I think this was a wise move."

Longtime Rumford Library Trustee Marie Boudreau noted, "The library is moving forward. We've done work on the outside. Now inside with the lighting."

Puiia said the town earlier installed energy-efficient lighting in the municipal building.