Councilwoman Lauren Meister said that she and her dogs, Sammy and Suki, appreciate the work of the Vanderpump Dog Foundation. (photo by Jon Viscott)

California is one of at least 14 states that have reported a mysterious dog illness that is highly contagious and potentially deadly. As a result, dog-related events have been put on hold throughout the Los Angeles area, including the highly-anticipated World Dog Day that was to be hosted by Vanderpump Dog Foundation and the city of West Hollywood.

The event, scheduled for Dec. 2, was to feature holiday-themed activities, including a meet-and-greet with Santa Paws. Vanderpump Dogs works to end international atrocities against canines and to improve the quality of life for dogs domestically. Started by actress Lisa Vanderpump, the foundation has aided in legislative campaigns and rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our World Dog Day event scheduled for Dec. 2 is cancelled,” Vanderpump Dogs wrote in a statement. “Due to the recent news of a severe upper respiratory virus affecting dogs, with potentially fatal consequences across the U.S., we have decided to postpone.”

“The Vanderpump Dog Foundation has cancelled World Dog Day 2023 to ensure all necessary precautions are taken to safeguard the health and wellness of dogs, following recent news of a severe upper respiratory virus affecting dogs,” read a statement from the city of West Hollywood, which also noted the event would be rescheduled in 2024.

Initial research into the virus has left veterinarians perplexed, with some calling it the COVID-19 of dog viruses.

According to CNN, a research team has not yet been able to identify the virus, but hundreds of cases continue to be reported throughout the country. Symptoms include sneezing, coughing, discharge from the eyes or nose and lethargy.

The city of West Hollywood also offered advice to residents who are concerned about their dogs’ health.

“For community members with dogs who may be concerned about this recent news, the city of West Hollywood recommends consulting your veterinarian for health and wellness information and to ensure that dogs are protected with age-appropriate and timely vaccinations,” read a statement from the city.

“I’m, of course, disappointed that World Dog Day will be postponed due to concerns regarding the increase of canine parvovirus cases and the respiratory virus that has emerged, however, that was the right thing to do,” Councilwoman Lauren Meister said. “My dogs, Sammy and Suki, are rescues from the dog meat trade in South Korea, so we greatly appreciate the work of the Vanderpump Dog Foundation, the DoVE Project (where I adopted my dogs) and others, to stop global dog abuse. While the city does what it can to maintain our dog parks, dog guardians visiting the park should make sure their pups are up-to-date on all of their vaccinations, especially parvo and bordetella.”

Mayor Pro Tempore John Erickson also said the cancellation was the right move to make.

“Although I am sad we won’t have WeHo Dog Day, I am glad that we are ensuring our four-legged friends will be safe and we will find a new time to have the event in 2024,” Erickson said.