Dog parasite prevention tour visits

CHASE PURDY
The Post and Courier

Kristen Bardner of Charleston stopped by the stand with her dog, Bella, while out for a walk at James Island Park.

The Companion Animal Parasite Council wrapped up its 14-city tour to raise awareness about dog parasite prevention earlier this month, making its final stop at James Island County Park.

Four council volunteers started the tour in New Orleans before heading as far north as Brooklyn, N.Y., and finally to Charleston. Their hope was to encourage pet owners to keep pets safe from parasites all year round, because they said almost 98 percent of pet owners they polled reported using parasitic medication for only half of the year.

"A lot of the draw to come to our events are to come talk to a veterinarian for free," said Illinois Blasdel, marketing director for the group. "One day a lady brought her dog that had pneumonia."

When the council's RV rolls into a new city, it parks in a designated spot where the staff wait for interested pet owners to arrive. Along with literature on parasite prevention, volunteers hand out T-shirts and dog toys such as Frisbees. Sometimes, they're accompanied by a street performer, Erin Turnbaugh, a council volunteer said.

Dwight Bowman, a Cornell University professor of parasitology who travels with the group, said, "We know we have a message. Sometimes you just have to take the message to the people. It's not the dogs' problem. All of this stuff is preventable."

The council staff said the top things to look out for include fleas, ticks and internal parasites such as heartworms, hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms.

The team said the only way to prevent pets from being hurt by parasites is to act responsibly. That would include visiting a veterinarian to inquire about year-round treatment.