Potentially contagious dog dies after being left outside of Humane Society by owners

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article indicated that the Humane Society of St. Joseph County was recently closed to the public temporarily due to a parvovirus infection. That was incorrect. The South Bend Animal Resource Center put a hold on dog intakes and went into quarantine due to a parvo outbreak last month. 

ST. JOSPEH COUNTY, Ind. -- Staff at the Humane Society of St. Joseph County were shocked this morning when they arrived for work to find a dead puppy at their front door.  

Humane Society officials say that, after checking cameras, they learned the four- to five-month-old female puppy was abandoned at 7:36 a.m. Friday morning.

The shelter wants to identify dog's owners because they suspect the puppy died of parvo, which is a very contagious virus and if these people have more dogs, they too are at risk.

"The Humane Society of St Joseph County has an emergency number posted on our front door that is monitored 24 hours a day," officials said. "They will always respond to these calls, and it is never okay to abandon animals at our front door. Although deceased, the puppy was still warm, and they have resources available that may have saved its life."

Authorities are investigating the incident.