Maricopa County Animal Care & Control will only accept animals at its shelters on an emergency basis after uncovering a positive case of strep zoo at its East Valley location.

Cities and people who find a stray dog should not bring it to the county facilities, officials stated in a release, adding an update will be provided on Monday, officials stated in a release.

MCACC is still taking in animals on an emergency basis for such things as aggressive behavior, bite cases or other safety issues.

The dog that tested positive at the east shelter has been treated with antibiotics and is doing well, officials said.

As part of the outbreak, MCACC is treating all the dogs in their care with antibiotics that are effective against strep zoo as a preventative measure. Once they are on this preventative medication, they are well-protected from the illness, according to the release.

“Strep zoo requires a thorough cleaning process to eradicate, and we have already vigorously cleaned the areas that the positive dog was around at our west shelter,” Dr. Samantha Thurman, MCACC’s chief animal medical officer, said.

“Our staff worked day and night this past week to make this happen at our west shelter, and they will be just as dedicated when addressing the east shelter.”

There is no vaccine to prevent strep zoo, and it does not respond to treatments that are used for common upper respiratory infections typically found in shelters, according to MCACC.

“This has been a demanding time for ACC employees,” communications supervisor Kim Powell said.

“These recent events have required all hands to be on deck, and it is truly inspiring to see all our staff, volunteers and community work together to help our dogs.”

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