Prince George’s County Animal Shelter in Maryland has resumed all dog adoptions and placements Friday after suspending services for two days, as workers responded to an illness outbreak.
David Fisher, associate director of the department of animal services, told WTOP a dog at the Upper Marlboro facility tested positive for a bacterial respiratory infection called streptococcus zooepidemicus, also referred to as strep zoo. Once the case was discovered Saturday, the shelter halted adoptions and visits to the dog adoption area.
There is no vaccine for strep zoo and its symptoms can be seen in other illnesses, including sneezing, nasal discharge and fever. The infection can be deadly to immunocompromised dogs, especially to those inside shelters, due to their stressed and crowded conditions.
Many of the dogs that come into the shelter are stressed and sometimes in poor shape, Fisher said.
The shelter has a routine practice of holding newly arrived dogs in a separate intake room to help prevent the spread while disinfection and testing take place. Because the infected dog was located in the facility’s intake room, Fischer said the shelter closed off its other six dog rooms to limit the spread to the other animals. The shelter currently has about 180 dogs, Fisher said.
“In our placement room, we range from anywhere between 70 to 100 dogs in that room at one time, and if it would have gotten to that room, it would be a much different situation for us,” Fisher said.
All dog adoptions were halted Tuesday, while workers treated dogs that were ill and tried to limit the spread of strep zoo. Fisher said while one room remains on lockdown, the rest of the facility and various dogs have been thoroughly tested. There are no signs of the infection, allowing officials to reopen the facility for adoptions.
According to the county’s animal services department, strep zoo is treatable with antibiotics, and it is rare to transmit it to a human. Fisher urged pet owners to keep their pets updated on vaccines, avoid communal water bowls and to get pets to their vets when they notice symptoms, such as a cough or runny nose.
“Take your dog out for walks, get it shots, get it fresh air, all the rest of those things,” he said. “It’s just really helpful to make sure that you’re keeping it an active and healthy lifestyle.”
Now that adoptions are open again, anyone considering adding a dog to their household is encouraged to pay a visit. Calling it the “Dr. Seuss of dogs,” Fisher said the shelter has a variety of dogs for families to choose from and recommends checking them out online.
“We got big dogs, short dogs, wide dogs, skinny dogs, you know, long hair, short hair, all the rest of that,” he said. “I guarantee you that whatever dog you want, in a six-month period, that type of dog is coming through our facility.”
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
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