The Wake County Animal Shelter suspended its practice last month of automatically euthanizing dogs with upper respiratory infections, but it’s too soon to say if that policy will be permanent.

Dennis McMichael, the head of the shelter, said his division must assess the new dog care procedures before any change can become policy.

“We’re still working on getting a third-party independent assessment of how to handle URI dogs,” McMichael said.

When a decision will be made is uncertain because the assessment team hasn’t been formed. McMichael said he and other county officials are working to draft a team of veterinarians to join the group.

Wake County Animal Shelter made headlines this year for accidentally adopting out a kitten with rabies and for its soaring euthanization rates for dogs with symptoms of respiratory infections.

McMichael took over the Wake County shelter Nov. 7. The next day, an 8-month-old Labrador mix named Sassy was euthanized just hours after appearing on WRAL-TV’s noon newscast as the “Pet of the Day.”

There was outcry from the public and from animal advocate groups. On Nov. 9, the shelter temporarily suspended its policy of automatically euthanizing sick dogs.

For now, the shelter quarantines dogs with respiratory infections and treats them with antibiotics, unless the dogs also have other illnesses that can’t be easily treated.

To address budget shortfalls associated with this change and other unexpected expenses from the past year, McMichael said he may close the shelter on some holidays when it would normally be open, and that he’s also looking at cutting back on some planned advertising.

One of the shelter’s biggest expenses this year has been requiring staff to work overtime to compensate for being short-staffed.

Any extra funds allocated to the shelter in the next fiscal year for the treatment and quarantine of sick dogs would depend on the findings of the assessment team.

“Whatever we get, we have to make sure we use our resources as efficiently as possible,” McMichael said.

The shelter continues to work with local rescue groups such as the Wake County SPCA to transfer animals not adopted at the county shelter. The SPCA took 36 dogs and four cats from the shelter in November.

McMichael calls the quick euthanization of Sassy “an unfortunate incident.”

“There’s nothing positive about an animal being put to sleep, but the attention that generated has served as a catalyst for change.”