 Bacterial infection forcing Pima Animal Care to move to emergency-only intake
PIMA COUNTY, Dec. 19, 2022 - A dog at Pima Animal Care Center has tested positive for a highly contagious bacterial infection, Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus or “Strep zoo,” forcing the shelter to move to an emergency-only admissions schedule through close of business Wednesday, Dec. 21.
PACC’s medical team is treating all dogs currently in the shelter with a 10-day course of antibiotics. Any dog with Strep zoo is considered infectious for three days. Due to the infection, all intake appointments are being rescheduled.
Monica Dangler, PACC Director of Animal Services, said, “With 589 dogs already in the shelter, the only way for us to protect the animals in the shelter and the community is to temporarily suspend non-emergency intake.”
Anyone who has adopted or fostered a dog from PACC since Thursday, Dec. 15, is being contacted with next steps. All adopters or fosters who have other pets are encouraged, as always, to keep their new pet separate from their existing dogs and cats for at least three days.
WHAT IS STREP ZOO?
Strep zoo is a bacterium normally found in horses/cattle, pigs, and guinea pigs that rarely causes disease. But when this bacterium infects immunocompromised dogs, it may cause severe pneumonia.
There is no vaccine for strep zoo and few warning signs. The bacterium has caused outbreaks of fatal pneumonia in shelter dogs worldwide due to the stressed and crowded conditions in the shelter. Signs of infection include fever, depression, vomiting, labored breathing, coughing blood, and discharge from the nose. The onset is typically sudden.
CAN CATS OR PEOPLE GET IT?
Strep zoo rarely infects cats. Additionally, there is a theoretical possibility that individuals with very poorly functioning immune systems could potentially be at risk for contracting the illness. Horses and livestock are the source species for the bacterium, and human cases are extremely rare despite regular contact with these animals.
Volunteers and shelter staff have been advised on how to continue enriching PACC’s shelter animals while taking necessary precautions to avoid spreading the bacterium in the community.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR PACC?
The dog who tested positive is currently receiving and responding well to treatment and is isolated from other pets.
The shelter will be accepting emergency intakes only through Wednesday, Dec. 21. Anyone who needs to surrender a pet is urged to go to PACC’s Pet Support page and exhaust all efforts to re-home their pet before contacting the shelter. The public may also contact other area shelters.
Emergency intake includes:
• A pet in medical distress
• An aggressive pet
• Any situation involving an injury to a human or animal
For emergencies, the public can stop by the shelter during PACC’s business hours Monday to Friday, noon to 7 p.m., or 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For found pets, the public is encouraged to try to find the owner by knocking on doors, posting flyers, getting the pet scanned for a microchip at a vet clinic for free, holding onto the pet until the owner can be located, and submitting a report on Petco Love Lost.
Anyone finding a stray that is injured, ill, or aggressive, please contact the Animal Protection Services dispatch line at (520) 724-5900 and press 4.
Due to the easily treatable nature of strep zoo, adoptions and foster will still be open, but PACC will not be offering dog-to-dog meet and greets until Thursday. All dogs leaving the shelter will be sent home with a treatment of prophylactic antibiotics.
Folks can also consider making a financial donation to PACC’s official nonprofit partner, Friends of Pima Animal Care Center, to help ease the cost of treatment for the 589 dogs on campus.
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