Animal Services and Adoption Center to Resume All Adoptions June 14
Press Release
For immediate release:
June 12, 2024
For more information, contact:
Linda Lowe, Director of Communications
Department of the Environment
lmlowe@co.pg.md.us; (301) 836-2115 (cell)
Prince George’s County Animal Services and Adoption Center to Resume All Adoptions June 14
Owner-surrender appointments remain temporarily suspended
Largo, MD – The Prince George’s County Animals Services Facility and Adoption Center (ASFAC) will reopen and resume dog adoptions and applications on Friday, June 14, after a temporary closure due to a respiratory disease. Owner surrender appointments will remain suspended until further notice. This measure is necessary to mitigate the risk of introducing new animals into our environment while ASFAC manages the aftermath of the recent outbreak.
Test results confirmed that a small percentage of dogs were affected by Streptococcus Zooepidemicus, also known as Strep Zoo (pronounced “Zo”). The quick actions of the staff prevented the spread of the disease, which was limited to only one of the seven dog rooms. That room remains locked down, and all affected dogs have been treated with a slow-release long-acting medication. The ASFAC can safely resume adoptions and find loving homes for our furry friends in other rooms through comprehensive health screenings, quarantine protocols, and enhanced cleaning procedures.
“The training and lessons learned from previous canine outbreaks helped provide a positive outcome in this instance,” says David Fisher, Associate Director of the Animal Services Division. "Our team has worked tirelessly to address the health concerns within our facility and implement preventative measures to safeguard the well-being of our animals and the community. We look forward to having our community back in our facility and appreciate the public support."
Getting the animals out of the facility and into homes is critical to getting them in the best position to succeed in the long term. Releasing treated animals after the appropriate period does not pose a health threat to the community.
To help reduce the spread of the disease in the community, ASFAC encourages pet owners to keep their pets updated on vaccines, avoid communal water bowls, and seek medical advice from a veterinarian if any symptoms like a cough or runny nose develop or worsen.
The ASFAC has a large group of kitten-bottle babies that will be legally adoptable once they are eight weeks old. They need fosters to take them in for two to four weeks. Most of the infant kittens can eat solid food. Interested fosters can contact fosterpgcpets@co.pg.md.us for more information.
To view the many animals available for adoption, click below or visit princegeorgespets4us.com.
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