The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors recently recognized the Two Pups Wellness Fund with a $25,000 donation.
These funds helped with the cost of antibiotics for the Streptococcus Zooepidemicus, or "Strep Zoo" outbreak at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control's (MCACC) East Shelter. This disease is an upper respiratory infection that is potentially fatal for dogs and cats.
The shelter was quarantined for two weeks after one dog tested positive for the strain. Three dogs also had pneumonia. Over 30 other dogs exhibiting symptoms of Strep Zoo were treated. All the animals in the shelter were also vaccinated. During the quarantine, the East shelter could not take in any lost or stray dogs, leaving the West shelter sole responsibility.
MCACC is the second-largest county animal shelter in the U.S. It admits over 30,000 animals annually and have a 94 percent "live release rate."