Dog of Ebola-infected Dallas nurse to be cared for, officials say

By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - The dog of the Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola when treating a patient infected with the virus is still in the woman's apartment and will be kept safe while its owner is in isolation at a local hospital, officials said on Monday. The 1-year-old King Charles Spaniel will be moved to an undisclosed location where its health can be checked, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins' office said in a statement. "We are working to remove the dog from the apartment this afternoon," the office said. Jenkins, the chief executive for Dallas County, is working to share photos of the patient’s dog with her family, it added. The dog was given food and water on Sunday by a hazardous materials team that decontaminated the Dallas apartment of the worker, reported by local media to be a nurse in her mid-20s. The team also left a light on in the apartment for the dog. Texas Health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey said at a news conference on Monday that officials were working to find a location where the dog can be properly monitored. The dog of a healthcare worker in Spain who contracted Ebola while treating an infected patient was put down out of fear the animal could spread the disease. The decision to kill the dog, named Excalibur, prompted international condemnation and protests from animal rights activists. Health authorities there had said the animal posed a health risk and there was evidence dogs could carry the virus. (Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Will Dunham and Jim Loney)