July 22, 2022 - Cobb County’s Animal Services Shelter will remain closed to outside visitors after the shelter’s veterinarian confirmed a case of “Strep-zoo” in the population.  Shelter staff had suspected the case after a dog suddenly became ill and proactively quarantined a portion of the shelter.  Test results confirmed the diagnosis, prompting the quarantine to be expanded to the entire shelter.  The quarantine will remain in place until shelter staff can treat the entire animal population with antibiotics and conduct further testing.

Strep Zoo, or Streptococcus zooepidemicus, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system.  It has become a common problem in shelters, and the Cobb County Animal Services Shelter has dealt with outbreaks twice in recent years.

Shelter staff will contact those who have recently adopted animals, reschedule appointments and surgeries, and continue to care for the 285 animals in the shelter.  Treatment of the population will start when the shipment of antibiotics arrives.  A thorough cleaning will take place before the facility reopens. So far, no other animals have displayed symptoms.