Caring for Ebola patient Nina Pham's dog during a 21-day quarantine period in October cost the city of Dallas about $27,000, according to an expense list made public Wednesday. Dallas officials said the price tag to house and monitor the pooch — a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Bentley — is being offset by $19,000 in private donations and grants.
Overall, the city spent more than $155,000 on the emergency response to the Ebola crisis, which included dealing with hazardous materials, police and fire department overtime, and bills for the care and security of the family of Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan.
Pham was one of two nurses who contracted Ebola while treating Duncan, a Liberian national who died of the virus in October. Pham and the other nurse, Amber Vinson, both recovered. Health officials have said there are no known reports of dogs or cats contracting or spreading Ebola, but Bentley was monitored out of precaution.
The cost of caring for human Ebola patients is much heftier: about $30,000 a day, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which has treated three such cases. The invoice released by the city of Dallas does not include expenses paid for by Dallas County, the state or federal agencies.
IN-DEPTH
- Cost to Treat Ebola: $1 Million For Two Patients
- Recovered Ebola Nurse Nina Pham and Dog Bentley Reunite in Dallas
- Cured of Ebola, Nina Pham Anxious to See Family, Dog