DETROIT -- An outbreak of parvo is being blamed for the deaths of hundreds of dogs in metro Detroit, and animal care workers and pet owners are very concerned.

"He started throwing up, you know, and he wouldn't eat," said pet owner Kyarnol Branner, clutching his dog's old collar. "He would just lay there. He would barely move. He was real sick. He just walked around real slow."

The collar is all Branner has left from his 8-week-old Rotweiller Black. The puppy was euthanized after a vet diagnosed him with symptoms of parvo.

A couple of houses down, Ruby Terry said her dog had the same symptoms.

"He had parvo. He was throwing up, he was dehydrated, he was bleeding from the mouth and everything," Terry said.

"We're getting 60 phone calls a week," said Kathryn Tucker of the Animal Care Network.

Tucker said there's an outbreak of the virus in Pontiac and Inkster, but that the virus can be found anywhere.

So far, Tucker said about 300 dogs have died from the virus this summer.

"This is something that is transmitted through feces and body fluids. It's in the ground," Tucker said. "Without vaccinations, all pet owners and all pets, dogs, are at risk."

The virus is highly contagious between dogs, especially puppies, but cannot be transferred to humans.

The cost for the treatment once a dog is infected with parvo can range from $300 to $3,000. The cost for a vaccination is about $30.

Terry was able to get her Shih Tzu-Chihuahua mix to the vet for treatment.

"He's doing excellent. He's back running around, playing with the kids, chasing behind people," Terry said. "He's back doing it all over again."