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The Prince George's County Animal Services Facility and Adoption Center in Upper Marlboro announced on Friday that it will temporarily be closed to the public and there will be no dog adoptions due to an undetermined illness that has been spreading inside the building.
"The temporary closure will allow staff to initiate quarantine protocols to stop the spread of the disease and to treat dogs who are ill," health officials said. "At this time, the disease is not spreading from dogs to any other animals within the facility, and testing is ongoing."
The facility will be closed "until further notice."
In the interim, animals will only be allowed to leave the building if it is a return to its owner, an adoption is in process and the pet shows no signs of illness, or if the pet is considered for a foster and shows no signs.
To help reduce the spread of the disease in the community, officials at the shelter are encouraging pet owners to limit visits to dog parks, doggie daycares, groomers, and other public spaces where pets have dog-to-dog contact.
"As we are seeing an uptick of this disease strike shelters nationwide, we are acting out of an abundance of caution to help stop the spread of this disease,” David Fisher, the Associate Director of the Department of Animal Services said. “The best place for a dog to be at this time is in a home being watched carefully by their owner.”
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