DODGE COUNTY, Ga. — People were surprised to find the courthouse doors locked during business hours.
Dodge County Manager Spencer Barron says it's because of what they found in the attic.
"We got some HVAC specialists up there, I went up there with the county building inspector and we realized that we had a problem on the north end of the courthouse with a lot of pigeons that had started roosting over there," he said.
The building is over 100 years old. Barron says the reconstruction over the years make it difficult to reach the pigeons.
"It's not really an accessible place, and we're still trying to figure out how far they've made it into the building and just how far the contamination or the droppings have spread," Barron said.
Vincent Mann came to the courthouse while out running some errands.
"I had to deliver some important papers," he said.
Despite the inconvenience, he was glad they closed to keep everyone safe.
"Pigeon drop has a lot of ammonia and acid in it and it's bad to your health, it's not good," Mann said.
Employees are working at the Eastman-Dodge County Chamber of Commerce on McRae Highway.
Chief Judge Sarah Wall canceled Superior Court and extended court deadlines for the next month, but Barron isn't sure when the building will reopen.
"Two or three remediation specialists have come in -- some of them have told us three months, some of them have told us six months. No one's given us any hard facts until we've had the testing done and find out if there's any contamination inside the building," Barron said.
Barron says so far there hasn't been any reported contamination, but they'll continue working until it's safe inside.
Cleanup crews found both live and dead pigeons in the attic of the century-old courthouse.
Pigeon droppings carry a fungus that can cause severe breathing problems.