Our pets are family members. Any worldwide crisis like the recent outbreak of Coronavirus makes me wonder how will this affect my family members including my dog Willow. I have put together some information to help you wade through the increasingly overwhelming amount of news coverage.
Should we be concerned for our pets?
While dogs are at risk to contract certain types of Coronavirus, COVID-19 is not believed to be a threat to pets. News last week stated that a dog had tested weak positive. However, many experts have stated that the dog is showing no signs of the virus, and that the weak positive was likely more due to the owner’s positive results and contact between the owner and dog. This is similar to doorknobs and surfaces testing positive.
What is Coronavirus?
According the the CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was “first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The first infections were linked to a live animal market, but the virus is now spreading from person-to-person. Unfortunately, there are still many unknowns at this point”. Coronaviruses have been around for a long time. COVID-19 is a new strain, but like I mentioned above, this Coronavirus should not pose a risk to your pets.
What should we do if we need to cancel our trip?
We understand that Acts of God are out of our control. Please alert us as soon as possible of any change in travel plans. If you have already paid for your services we are happy to credit you for the cancelled visits, and use the remaining funds for future services. If you have not yet paid we will not be requiring a cancellation fee at this time. Our main concerns are everyone’s health and safety.
Business precautions we are taking:
Firstly, all team members will be washing their hands with soap before and after each visit.
Secondly, team members will also be encouraged to carry hand sanitizer to utilize prior to entering any home.
Lastly, we are encouraging out staff members to stay home if they’re feeling ill. This is one of the benefits of working with Ashley’s Pawsome Petsitting and Dog Walkings’ TEAM of sitters, we will always have a sitter available as back up.
Contact us if you have any questions about services or virus precautions.
Resources for the latest updates on COVID-19:
https://fluentwoof.com/dogs-coronavirus-covid-19/https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet_column/coronavirus-pets/
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/novel-coronavirus-hubei-province–china.html