For sake of animals, too, stay home if you are sick

 Last Friday the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratories announced a COVID-positive white-tailed deer was found in Ohio. These are the first deer confirmed with COVID in the world. And apparently, they are in our own backyard.

The report said samples of the deer were taken between January and March of this year as part of ongoing deer damage management activities.

COVID infections have been reported in some other animals tested worldwide, most in animals that had been in close contact with humans, including pet cats and dogs, and in one case reported by the CDC, a ferret. Animals in zoos and sanctuaries, including too hot big cats, others and primates have also been infected with COVID, after being near infected humans.

The USDA did note the risk of animals spreading it to humans appears to be low. But apparently we can infect animals.

As if we need another reason to try to limit COVID exposure, it appears we also must think of our animal friends as well, stay home when sick — and tough as it might be, stay out of our pets’ faces. Otherwise, we are putting them at risk, too. COVID caution just doesn’t apply to human any longer.

Pet owners urged to avoid their cats and dogs if they have Covid

 Cat or dog owners who have Covid-19 should avoid their pets while infected, experts have said.

Scientists in the Netherlands have found coronavirus is common in pet cats and dogs where their owners have the disease. While cases of owners passing on Covid-19 to their pets are considered to be of negligible risk to public health, the scientists say there is a potential risk that domestic animals could act as a “reservoir” for coronavirus and reintroduce it to humans.

Dr Els Broens, from Utrecht University, said: “If you have Covid-19, you should avoid contact with your cat or dog, just as you would do with other people.

“The main concern, however, is not the animals’ health – they had no or mild symptoms of Covid-19 – but the potential risk that pets could act as a reservoir of the virus and reintroduce it into the human population.

Fortunately, to date no pet-to-human transmission has been reported. “So, despite the rather high prevalence among pets from Covid-19 positive households in this study, it seems unlikely that pets play a role in the pandemic.”

The research led by Broens was presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) but has not yet been published in a journal.

Broens and his colleagues analysed the PCR test results of 156 dogs and 154 cats from 196 households. Six cats and seven dogs (4.2%) had positive PCR tests and 31 cats and 23 dogs (17.4%) tested positive for antibodies.

Eight cats and dogs that lived in the same homes as the PCR-positive pets were also tested for a second time to check for virus transmission among pets. None of the animals tested positive, suggesting the virus was not being passed between pets living in close contact with one another.

But researchers said their findings show Covid-19 is highly prevalent in pets of people who have had the disease.

Meanwhile, separate research, also presented at the ECCMID meeting, suggests cats that sleep on their owner’s bed may be at particular risk of getting Covid-19 from their owners.

Dorothee Bienzle, a professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Guelph in Canada, who presented the findings, said: “If someone has Covid-19 there is a surprisingly high chance they will pass it on to their pet.

“Cats, especially those that sleep on their owner’s bed, seem to be particularly vulnerable. So, if you have Covid-19, I’d advise that you keep your distance from your pet – and keep it out of your bedroom.”

Bienzle also recommends keeping coronavirus-infected pets away from other people and pets. She said: “While the evidence that pets can pass the virus on to other pets is limited, it can’t be excluded. Similarly, although pets have not been shown to pass the virus back to people, the possibility can’t be completely ruled out.”

Commenting on the findings, Prof James Wood, the head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge University, said both studies were consistent with “a growing number of studies that are suggesting that a substantial proportion of pet cats and dogs may catch Sars-CoV-2 virus (which causes Covid-19) from their owners”.

He added: “Cats and dogs may commonly be infected with the virus, but most reports are that this infection appears to be asymptomatic. It also seems that the virus does not normally transmit from dogs and cats to either other animals or their owners.

“These studies need to be differentiated from earlier work that has reported a very small number of individual cats and dogs to be unwell after they caught Covid-19 from their owners.”

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Chinese monk who saved 8,000 strays is dog's best friend

 His bald head glistening with sweat, Zhi Xiang peers into the eyes of a stray dog whose coat has become matted in heavy rain and says soothingly: "Let me cut your hair, cutie."

The bedraggled pooch is among scores of dogs hauled off the streets of Shanghai by police and packed in metal cages in a foul-smelling holding area.

More than 20 puppies are also crammed into a yellow plastic crate; one dog is dragged in while inside a tied bag.

But for Zhi's intervention, they will all be put down in a matter of days.

#photo1

But Zhi is no ordinary animal rescuer: he is a Buddhist monk and will give these dogs a new life either at his ancient monastery or at a shelter he runs in the Chinese city.

He already has nearly 8,000 dogs to feed and care for. A few hundred will eventually be resettled in Europe or North America.

"I have to rescue them because if I don't, they will die for sure," said the 51-year-old, who temporarily discards his monk's robes for an orange workman's suit as he gives vaccinations to dishevelled dogs fresh off the streets.

#photo2

Driven by his faith, Zhi has been rescuing animals -- mostly dogs but also cats and other strays -- since 1994.

It started when he began treating cats hit by vehicles on the road. Back then, there were few stray animals, but that has changed markedly in the last four or five years, he said.

China's growing wealth has seen a boom in the pet market but some people simply abandon them when they do not want to care for them anymore, said Zhi.

#photo3

"This is not caused by people who dislike dogs, or by the government, but by so-called dog lovers who don't have proper animal-caring knowledge," said Zhi.

Breeding among strays is causing their numbers to explode.

State media said in 2019 that there were 50 million stray animals in China and that number is roughly doubling each year.

- Dogs and Buddhas -

With help from volunteers and his small workforce, Zhi keeps several hundred dogs at his Bao'en Temple, where he is the head monk and golden Buddhas look on serenely against a backdrop of howling pooches.

The temple, which is still a place of worship, also hosts a room filled with 200 cats, along with a ragtag collection of chickens, geese and peacocks.

#photo4

The air is an incongruous mix of animal smells and burning incense.

Zhi keeps mostly sick dogs there and the rest go to a bigger facility elsewhere. The lucky ones will find a new home with new owners.

The unlucky ones, about 30 percent of the dogs he rescues, die of disease or were already too sick to save.

Zhi is not a trained vet but his love of animals, in the way he strokes, soothes and kisses them, is obvious.

#photo5

The continually growing number of unwanted animals is a huge financial strain.

Zhi, who gets up at 4:00 am each day, gets no money from the government. He has borrowed from his parents and other monks and receives handouts from donors.

He estimates that annual costs are about 12 million yuan ($2 million) and he needs 60 tonnes of dog food every month.

"The problem is that I can't borrow any more money now," he said.

- Tearful farewell -

Since 2019, Zhi has been sending some of the strays abroad to be resettled overseas.

Volunteers who can speak English use social media to reach an international audience, and about 300 dogs have been placed in the United States, Canada and various European countries including Germany.

#photo6

The memory of those lucky dogs -- their journey from the streets and almost certain death to a new life -- brings tears to his eyes.

"I think they're very happy so I feel it's worthwhile," he said. "But of course I miss them."

One recent Saturday morning, Zhi was at Shanghai's international airport to drop off a dog to a passenger who volunteered to take it to a new home in the US city of Seattle.

He wipes away tears as the woman and dog disappear through the departure gate.

"I have a dream that one day, when I have some free time, I want to go abroad and visit them, take photos with every dog that I rescued," he said.

"So when I get old and can't walk, I have these photos to look at."

Five ways to make moving easier for your pets

 Moving is extremely stressful for pets as they feel things are out of sorts but don’t know why. With these basic guidelines, sticking to a routine and giving them lots of love, you can reduce their anxiety.

1. If you’re moving within South Africa or overseas, the first step is to find a professional pet relocation company with a great reputation that will treat your animals kindly and ethically the whole way. The company should be able to guide you through complicated country requirements for your pets, quote you on pet-friendly airlines and help you through their animal transport restrictions, check your pet’s travel paperwork and provide detailed veterinary time schedules, book your pet’s flight and provide you with the airline approved pet travel crates, transport your pets in branded, air-conditioned vehicles, communicate with you regularly on the status of your pets while in transit or at the kennels. Some will even provide comfort packs to ease the journey of your pets.

2. Chat to your vet: find out what examinations, vaccinations and documents are required and you’ll also need a full set of your pets’ medical records to give to your new vet. If your pets are elderly, you may have to consider if they’re healthy enough to cope with a big move, especially as sedation is no longer allowed during air travel.

 3. If you’re driving a far distance to your new home, stop overnight for everyone to rest. Send as much luggage with the movers as you can so that the car isn’t crammed as this makes animals (and humans) anxious and uncomfortable. Pet relocation services should offer shuttles around South Africa for your pets if you’re unable to drive them. Air travel is also a viable although more pricey option if you’re moving to another city as the whole ordeal is over for your pets far more quickly.

4. Buy your pet carrier ahead of time so that your kitty or pup can get used to it. Let them sleep, eat and play inside and line it with a blanket they know. If your pet suffers from separation anxiety, put a t-shirt inside as your scent will make them feel more secure. Check your airline’s animal carrier requirements or if the relocation company provides the carrier.

5. Keep your pets’ routine as normal as possible until D-Day: stick to feeding and walking times, bowls and baskets must be put in the same place. Pack your pets’ toys at the last minute and allocate a safe space or room for them on moving day as they will know something is up the minute they see suitcases and boxes. If you’re moving to a new neighbourhood, doggy daycare might be an easier option on moving day or ask your vet if they can look after your pets for the day.

Dog sex pics discovered in paedophile's sickening stash

 A paedophile who shared child rape videos online also had dozens of images showing a man having sex with a dog.

Alan Bainbridge collected more than 500 sickening child sex abuse files over a period of around four months last year.

When police arrested the 62-year-old they found he had also amassed 52 extreme porn images involving animals.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Bainbridge previously admitted six sexual offences when he appeared before magistrates.

He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing, three counts of downloading and one count of distributing indecent images of children, plus possessing extreme pornography.

According to the charges, Bainbridge shared indecent videos of children falling into Category A - the most serious category showing child rape - from an address in Warrington on May 9, 2020.

He downloaded 151 Category A, 87 Category B and 263 Category C indecent images of children between January 8, 2020 and May 13, 2020.

And he possessed 52 images which portrayed "a person performing an act of intercourse with a live animal, namely dogs, which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character".

Bainbridge, now of Doward Street, Widnes, appeared in the dock this afternoon, when his defence lawyer requested an adjournment so he could be interviewed by the Probation Service.

Kyra Badman, defending, said: "As your honour knows there was a request for a pre-sentence report in the lower court, which was refused by the magistrates, perhaps understandably, because Mr Bainbridge faces the very serious offence in particular of distributing indecent images.

"The starting point by my interpretation of the guidelines for that offence is one of three years.

Would you take ‘pet leave’?

 A COVID-19 pet boom has seen thousands of Australians want their employers to facilitate time off to care for their furry friend.

New research from PetCulture has revealed that four out of five pet owners are asking for their workplace to be more flexible to look after their beloved pet.

CEO of PetCulture, Simon Smith believes the conversation must be had.

“We’re really giving people the chance to engage with their boss and discuss what would be appropriate,” he said. “Some employers might further make it formal, whereas others may just take more of a flexible attitude. It’s definitely something that more people are asking for.”

81 per cent of pet owners believe that Australian businesses should have policies or schemes in place to better allow them to care for their pet.

The study also shows that two-thirds of Australians see their pet as a family member.

“A lot of people do treat their pets as if they are their kids,” Mr Smith told Oliver Peterson. “We have heard of quite a few smaller work places that have taken this step.”

Florida veterinarian accused of having child porn, sexually abusing dog

 A South Florida veterinarian is facing charges of possessing child pornography and sexually abusing a dog, authorities said.

Prentiss Madden, 40, was arrested by federal agents on Tuesday and ordered held pending a Friday bond hearing, court records show. Court records did not list a lawyer for him, and it wasn’t immediately clear who could speak in his defense.

Madden was medical director of Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Miami until he was fired two weeks ago, when colleagues learned he was under investigation for “these heinous and unthinkable crimes,” the hospital said in a statement on Wednesday.