The Cobb County Animal Services shelter is now fully reopened after animals were quarantined and treated for a contagious illness, “strep zoo.”

After one dog tested positive for the illness, the shelter closed for two weeks while staff treated the animals with antibiotics. The illness was quickly contained, and no other animals have displayed symptoms, county officials said in a statement.

When staff identified the sick dog’s symptoms, they placed the shelter under a partial quarantine to prevent the spread of the illness. The shelter dealt with prior outbreaks in 2019 and 2020 when a few animals died.

Strep zoo is a contagious bacterial infection affecting the respiratory system and “has become a common problem in shelters,” the county statement said.

The shelter is now open for normal business hours.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia Power's Plant Bowen in Cartersville is shown. The utility wants to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, mainly to serve data centers. (Hyosyb Shin/AJC 2015)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Featured

Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC