By Trish Svoboda

The Fairmont Park Dog Park in Riley County will temporarily close for the second time this year due to possible canine parvovirus contamination. Due to a recent diagnosis of parvo from a dog that visited the park, the large and small dog enclosures will be closed as of today, September 19th, and will remain closed until at least Monday, Sept. 25th. The dog park had also been closed August 16-21 when a pet owner notified Riley County park staff of a parvo diagnosis. Canine parvovirus is known to spread through direct contact with an infected dog, as well as through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. The virus cannot be spread to, or spread by humans. It is strongly encouraged that pet owners keep their dogs away from the park during the closure, and any pet owners who visited Fairmont Park Dog Park in the past week should monitor their dog for signs of canine parvovirus and immediately contact a veterinarian if their dog shows signs of lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea, or other signs of illness.