Sacramento, California – After two dogs tested positive for Streptococcus zooepidemicus, also known as “strep zoo,” a bacterial infection that can make dogs very sick very quickly, the Front Street Animal Shelter is no longer taking in stray dogs for the time being. Officials at the shelter say they made the decision to prevent the disease from spreading and to keep both the current and incoming animals safe.
Strep zoo is renowned for moving quickly in cages, especially when dogs feel stressed or have weak immune systems. Animals are not the bacteria’s preferred host, but outbreaks in crowded shelters can spread quickly and ultimately kill some animals. Because of these risks, the shelter’s officials acted quickly once the positive tests were verified.
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According to shelter manager Phillip Zimmerman, veterinarians at Front Street reached out to experts from the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. This program has a lot of expertise studying the disease and helping shelters during outbreaks.
After looking at the situation, both teams concluded that the safest thing to do was to stop taking in healthy stray dogs for at least seven to fourteen days. Zimmerman added that the break gives the shelter a chance to make a clean break in admissions, which lets staff fully control and get rid of the disease without bringing in additional animals that could be infected.
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Shelter veterinarian Dr. Victoria Smalley explained that the disease thrives in high-stress environments.
“Dogs are not the preferred host for Strep zoo, but in crowded shelter environments where many dogs are immunocompromised due to stress, the disease can have devastating effects,” said Dr. Victoria Smalley.
Front Street has not yet reported any deaths related to the outbreak. Zimmerman noted that finding problems early and acting quickly have been very important in keeping outcomes positive.
“Fortunately, we haven’t had any fatalities due to the disease,” Zimmerman said. “With quick and effective action, along with the support of the public, we hope to keep it that way and resume normal services as soon as possible.”
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Adoptions remain open, but the shelter is not taking in additional stray dogs. Shelter officials encourage people to keep adopting animals because one of the best ways to prevent the transmission of disease is to lessen the number of animals in the building. Smalley stated that every dog that leaves the shelter makes it less crowded and less stressful for everyone, including the adopted dog and the other dogs that remain there.
The shelter is also giving new adopters 10 days of medical care for their new canines in case something goes wrong. Officials emphasized that households with existing pets are considered low risk, since typical home environments do not replicate the crowded conditions that allow strep zoo to spread. The medications given to adopted dogs to prevent disease make it even less likely that they will spread it.
During the admissions pause, the shelter is encouraging people who find stray dogs to keep them for a little while instead of bringing them directly to the shelter. In a lot of situations, owners can find their lost pets again within one to two days. The shelter can help with this and can give food, vaccines, supplies, and medical treatment to those who are willing to foster found animals once they fill out the necessary paperwork.
For cases where holding a stray is not possible, Front Street is expanding its use of foster volunteers to ensure animals still receive care. Shelter officials said that working together as a community will be very important in bringing the outbreak to an end quickly and safely, so that normal services can start up again as soon as it is safe to do so.
To assist as a foster, please visit the Front Street Foster Program page online.