Gwinnett County animal shelter temporarily closed after 3 dogs die from Strep Zoo

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - The Bill Atkinson Animal Welfare Center in Gwinnett County has temporarily closed after three dogs died from a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Officials announced the shelter, located on Winder Highway in Lawrenceville, will remain shut until Dec. 17 as a precaution to prevent further spread of the disease.

The shelter halted adoptions earlier this week after the sudden deaths, which began Friday, Nov. 29. Gwinnett County Animal Welfare officials worked with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to confirm the presence of the bacteria, known as "Strep Zoo," in one of the deceased dogs. Test results for the other two are pending.

"This is a very contagious disease, and they died very unexpectedly, sadly," said Katrina Amaro, division director of Gwinnett County Animal Welfare. "We had no prior symptoms. We really had nothing to go off of."

Amaro described the sequence of events that led to the shutdown. "On Monday, we came in and found a second canine deceased, and that evening we had a third," she said. "Out of those three, we have one result that came back positive for Strep Zoo. We expect the other two to be positive as well."

What is Strep Zoo?

The bacterial infection can cause severe respiratory symptoms, including nasal discharge, labored breathing, lethargy, and loss of appetite. Without prompt antibiotic treatment, it can rapidly lead to death. While the disease can transmit between animals and humans, such cases in humans are extremely rare.

"It can be transmitted from direct animal-to-animal contact, through the air via coughing and sneezing, or even carried on a person’s clothing," Amaro explained. Staff members have been instructed to take additional precautions, including disinfecting the shelter and changing clothes before leaving work to avoid bringing the bacteria home to their own pets.

The Bill Atkinson Animal Welfare Center (Gwinnett Animal Shelter)

When will Gwinnett County animal shelter reopen?

Despite the closure, the shelter will continue to accept sick, injured, or aggressive animals to ensure public safety. Residents are urged to monitor their pets closely for symptoms and seek veterinary care immediately if signs of illness appear.

The shelter is also investigating reports of a dog adopted over the weekend that has since become ill. "If you adopted a pet from here and it’s showing signs of illness, please contact the shelter right away," Amaro said.

Gwinnett County officials are working to contain the outbreak and ensure a safe reopening of the facility on Dec. 17.