More than half of the dogs seized in a June 15 raid of The Pet Company at Hamilton Place have tested positive for a highly contagious parasite, according to an official at McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center.
Twenty-two out of 32 dogs tested positive for the intestinal parasite giardia, which is transmissible to humans, according to McKamey Executive Director Karen Walsh.
City Court Judge Sherry Paty ordered the McKamey Center to test the dogs taken last month from The Pet Company after two dogs in the store were found infected with giardia.
The infected dogs will remain in isolation at the McKamey Center and receive treatment until they recover.
The 10 dogs that tested negative for giardia have been ordered to be returned to The Pet Company and taken to another store location other than Hamilton Place.
The nearest location is in Atlanta, but the Georgia State Veterinarian sent a letter to The Pet Company, stating that, although the dogs tested negative for giardia, their exposure to the parasite means they are not allowed to cross state lines.
"Georgia had a major outbreak of giardia a few years ago, and so they want to do everything possible to prevent that from happening again," said Ms. Walsh.
Because the animals cannot cross state lines, The Pet Company will keep the 10 dogs and all other "pocket pets" -- rabbits, hamsters, and ferrets -- at the Companion Animal Hospital in Chattanooga.
They'll be under the care of Dr. Kellie Prince, the company's contracted veterinarian, until Wednesday when The Pet Company and the McKamey Center go back to City Court.
On that day, Judge Paty is expected to make her final determination about whether the store at Hamilton Place gets to keep its operation license, which was suspended June 15.
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