Did you know that Little Dogs Resort was co-founded by a nurse with a PhD? Yup. Here’s something else, since our founding over 20 years ago our standards of care, sanitation, and emphasis on health have consistently exceeded state requirements and industry standards. On top of that, we are the only facility in Utah to achieve the MasterPlan Pet Care 5 star Accreditation for staff education and standards.
It’s from this place of professional integrity and from our love and commitment to canine safety that we are sharing updates that relate to some of the stories on the news in the last few days concerning pets and COVID-19.
Our Process on Safety
We take very seriously all new information that comes to us. But when it comes to making decisions we look to established scientific and medical professionals from national institutions.
One of those organizations is the American Veterinary Medical Association as well as working closely with multiple local accredited veterinary experts. Not only are they imminently qualified, they also provide us the great service of filtering through the scientific literature and leaving out the politics.
Medical Summary
“Health officials across the U.S. and all over the world are working hard to combat COVID-19. The AVMA is committed to providing factual, up-to-date information and resources to support the veterinary community in performing essential work during the pandemic. This work includes providing care for pets.”
They continue, “On April 22, the CDC announced the first National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL)-confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in two pet cats. These are the first pets in the United States to test positive for SARS-CoV-2. Currently we have no information that suggests that pets might be a source of infection for people with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
To date, globally, the only pets incidentally exposed to COVID-19 that have tested positive, with confirmation, for SARS-CoV-2 are two pet dogs and a pet cat in Hong Kong, and two pet cats in in the United States.” For perspective that is a total of 5 out of 700 million pets.
What If You Are Sick?
“Until more is known about this virus, if you are ill with COVID-19 you should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just as you would restrict your contact with other people.
While we are recommending these as good practices, it is important to remember that there is currently no reason at this time to think that domestic animals, including pets, in the United States might be a source of infection with SARS-CoV-2.” We feel this direction is both scientifically sound and prudent.
The Scientific Literature
“A preprint of a research article posted online on March 30 at bioRxiv and subsequently published as a peer-reviewed research report in Science on April 8, together with initial results of studies conducted at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) posted April 2 have raised public concern that cats and ferrets might be able to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and transmit the virus to other animals. We emphasize caution in not overinterpreting the results described in these and other articles, and also caution about extrapolating them to the potential for SARS-CoV-2 to naturally infect or be transmitted by companion animals kept as pets.” This warning is also helpful for the general public’s need to balance speculation with actual scientific fact.
“Despite the number of global cases of COVID-19 surpassing the 2.6 million mark as of April 22, 2020, we are aware of only three pets (two dogs and one cat) in Hong Kong, and a tiger and two pet cats in New York state, that have tested positive, with confirmation, for SARS-CoV-2. Of the pets confirmed to be positive, only two (the cats in New York state) exhibited signs of illness consistent with infection with SARS-CoV-2. Both of the ill cats showed mild signs of illness and are expected to fully recover.”
The Little Dogs Promise
Given all the data available to us, we’ve made the decision to remain open and available to you and your little dogs. We believe this decision respects the available science and medical advice available while still serving our LD Family.
Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our family: you, your little dogs, and our Little Dog’s team. And so, we continue our tradition of universal precautions for cleanliness, impeccable hygiene standards, pathogen control, and disinfection. In addition to this, we have enacted curbside drop off / pick with zero contact. In alignment with state recommendations we have instituted extra precautions for workplace safety including requiring all our staff continue wearing personal protective equipment PPE, staggering shifts, and maintaining appropriate distances and precautions.
We will make it through this together!
You can read the full medical article here at the AVMA website.
