Strep zoo outbreak forces Stanislaus County animal shelter to halt stray intakes
MODESTO – The Stanislaus County animal shelter won't be taking in new stray animals for the time being due to a strep zoo outbreak.
On Wednesday, the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency announced that they were suspending stray intakes after confirming the presence of streptococcus zooepidemicus.
Strep zoo can easily spread through overcrowded shelters. It can cause severe complications, like pneumonia, in dogs.
It's unclear how many animals at the shelter have the virus, but the shelter decided on temporarily suspending stray intakes to focus on limiting the spread and treating animals already in their care.
People looking to turn in a stray dog are being urged by the shelter to try and find the animal's owners themselves by talking to neighbors, hanging posters, or posting on Facebook groups on lost pets.
Animals are still available for adoption amid the outbreak - with shelter officials saying that now, more than ever, they want to find homes for healthy dogs to keep them from possibly getting sick.