DEWITT, N.Y. -- After closing its doors for more than a week, Helping Hounds Dog Rescue is back up and running.

The DeWitt shelter reopened Wednesday after discovering five dogs had distemper -- a virus that resembles the flu.

Sadly, three dogs did not make it. The other two are on medication and recovering.

Vets from Cornell Shelter Medicine came in to assess all the animals and cleared them for adoption.

Officials say they adopt thousands of dogs from locations across the country, but the risks have increased in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey.

"The migration of domestic pets, the migration of wildlife after Hurricane Harvey, enter puppy season in Texas shelter -- it just kind of created this perfect storm. And it increased our risk exposure,” said Helping Hounds Executive Director Kathy Gilmour.

Gilmour says distemper is preventable by a simple vaccine.