Merced County shelter stops taking in dogs as disease outbreak forces suspension
The Merced County animal shelter has temporarily stopped taking in dogs due to an outbreak of a dangerous illness.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have implemented temporary safety measures to protect the animals in our care and our community,” the shelter said in a Facebook post.
Zooepidemicus, a streptococcus equi subspecies most commonly called strep zoo, is a fast-moving and highly contagious bacterial infection that affects dogs. It can lead to serious illness in shelters where animals are held in close quarters.
The Merced County shelter will continue to place healthy dogs into homes or rescues, the Merced County Sheriff’s Animal Services Bureau said in the post.
The shelter said it is monitoring its current population of animals, cleaning and disinfecting the facility and working with veterinary professionals to help contain the disease.
According to the post, although the disease is highly contagious to animals, “the risk to humans is very low. As a precaution, immunocompromised individuals should avoid contact with sick animals.”
There was no timetable for when the shelter would resume accepting dogs.
There was a breakout of strep zoo in Stanislaus County in July. The Stanislaus County shelter stopped taking dogs for about a week.
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 6:16 PM.
