Household pets are being dumped over baseless concerns they can pass coronavirus on to humans.
Despite suggestions that cats can transmit the virus between them and reports of dogs testing positive in Hong Kong, experts say there is yet to be a single case of people catching it from their furry companions. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) similarly said ‘owners should not worry’ about contracting the disease from pets.
Nevertheless, animals are still being abandoned over the fears. Others have been left after owners succumb to the disease or can no longer afford to properly care for them due to money troubles stemming from the lockdown.
It has prompted the RSPCA to launch a new campaign aimed at encouraging pet owners to create an emergency care plan in case they become infected with Covid-19.
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The charity is also calling on people to place a sticker in their window alerting passers-by that there are animals inside the home should they be taken to hospital.
An investigation by Sun Online revealed how the RSPCA was called after a two-year-old poodle was discovered in someone’s garden after being thrown over a seven-foot fence.
The charity also responded to calls about a rabbit which lost the use of its back legs after being dumped in a cardboard box, as well as two eight-week-old kittens left in a cat carrier alongside a canal.
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Dr Angel Almendros, from Hong Kong’s City University, told the BBC last month that ‘there isn’t a single case of a pet dog or cat infecting a human with Covid-19’.
An RSPCA spokesperson told the Sun that although ‘many people are finding their pets a real source of comfort’ and ‘cases of abandonment are slightly lower than usual’, it is ‘heartbreaking’ that some are still being dumped during the crisis.
They added: ‘In most cases we don’t know why pets are abandoned but it’s really important to remind people that there is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 can be passed from pets to people.
‘There is lots of help and support out there for anyone else struggling to get animal food, with health or behavioural issues, exercising their pets or managing to keep children safe around pets. Please don’t be afraid to ask for help.’
Since lockdown began the charity has received more than 1,600 abandonment incidents reported to its cruelty hotline – roughly 40 per day.
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