Test results for a highly contagious bacterial infection at the Pima Animal Care Center have come back negative after a dog died at the shelter.
PACC suspended nonemergency admissions earlier this week after the dog was found dead Sunday morning in a kennel. PACC veterinarians were concerned that the dog might’ve had atreptococcus equi zooepidemicus, or “strep zoo,” and proceeded to treat all of the dogs in its care with antibiotics.
The disease is often fatal, causing severe pneumonia in dogs.
PACC veterinarians are continuing to investigate why the dog died, a spokeswoman for PACC said. They are also asking people to only bring in animals on an emergency basis due to lack of space.
Emergency intakes include a pet in medical distress, an aggressive pet, any situation involving an injury to a human or animal.
Anyone else who needs to surrender a pet is asked to visit tucne.ws/paccpsc for resources and exhaust all efforts to rehome the pet before contacting the shelter, or contact other area shelters.
Since operations slowed due to the potential strep zoo outbreak, PACC is hosting an adoption challenge in hopes of getting 50 dogs a day adopted now through Sunday.
Adoption fees are waived, and every adopter will have a chance to enter a drawing to win a gift basket.
PACC continues to be full with over 50 dogs waiting in nonpublic kennels. The center would need 150 dogs out of the shelter by Monday to help keep up as it resumes intake, a Facebook post from PACC said.
PACC is open weekdays from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit pima.gov/animalcare.
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