Rat infestation shuts down Family Dollar in Cobb County

Family Dollar on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton shut down due to rat infestation.

Family Dollar on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton shut down due to rat infestation.

A Family Dollar in Cobb County has been shut down following a rat infestation, officials told Channel 2 Action News.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has issued an embargo on the food inside the store, and Cobb County Code Enforcement has an open case for the conditions in the Mableton store, Channel 2 reported. The case began in September with a citation for litter, incidental storage and improper storage closure.

When Channel 2 arrived at the Family Tree on Monday, a pest control vehicle was leaving the store, which is located at 850 Veterans Memorial Highway.

Rashaad Chambers, who works across the street at Shear Design Barbershop told the news station that a client showed him a video of rats in and around boxes in the Family Dollar.

“That’s unsanitary,” he said. “How do you clean that? You can’t Febreeze it; you can’t bleach it.”

A spokesperson from Dollar Tree, Family Dollar’s parent company, sent Channel 2 a statement that said: “We closed our store in May to address property maintenance issues. We are working with contractors and plan to reopen our store in August.”

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Channel 2's Christian Jennings reports.