Dogs In Desperate Need Of Homes As Full County Shelter Faces Another Strep Zoo Outbreak

UPPER MARLBORO, MD — A recurring outbreak of the respiratory infection known as Strep Zoo has prompted the Prince George's County Animals Services Facility and Adoption Center to limit owner-surrender pets while at capacity and is waiving pet adoption fees for now.

Because the shelter is dealing with another outbreak, all pets at the shelter are being treated with medication as a preventative measure and the facility has enacted deep cleaning protocols, the shelter announced.

“Our facility will limit the intake of owner-surrender pets to prevent further overcrowding and exposure to disease,” Shelter Animal Services Director David Fisher said in a news release. “We need the public’s help and ask them to consider re-homing a pet with other family or friends before bringing them to the shelter and adopting, fostering, or rescuing one of the pets already in our care.

“We would like to move as many as 100+ dogs out of our facility through pet adoption, new fosters, and our rescue partners,” Fisher added. “I encourage those looking for a four-legged friend to take advantage of our waived adoption fees.”

Strep Zoo, pronounced Zo, was previously detected at the shelter in January and caused a brief shutdown. Rescue groups reached out to FOX5 DC reporting the euthanizing of up to 40 dogs recently in light of the outbreak. They believe the problem is because Prince George's County still has a breed ban in place, so residents can't adopt or foster pit bulls, FOX5 said.

The animal shelter is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. To view the animals available for adoption, visit princegeorgespets4us.com. The shelter is located at 3750 Brown Station Rd. in Upper Marlboro.