Bacteria plague Philadelphia animal shelter

Obscure bacteria are prompting Philadelphia’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.) to empty and decontaminate its animal shelter.

Obscure bacteria are prompting Philadelphia’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.) to empty and decontaminate its animal shelter.

The Philadelphia Health Department oversees the animal control operation as part of its efforts to curb the spread of rabies and other diseases.  Dr. Donald Schwartz is the city’s Health Commissioner.  At a city budget hearing, he said the bacteria stubbornly resist removal.

Schwarz: “The bigger issue is the Strep Zoo – that is a germ that lives in inanimate objects, and there are a lot of inanimate objects at the shelter.  We are emptying the shelter and cleaning it from top to bottom.”

Shelter operators are asking for help to place animals during the decontamination.  Dr. Schwartz adds that the city might have to take over the shelter operation from the S.P.C.A. beginning in July. That’s because the S.P.C.A. doesn’t like the budget given to them for running animal control.