The health questions dog walkers don’t want to ask
For health reasons, dog owners should talk about COVID-19 results. For the sake of our sanity, we don’t.
If you own a dog or have walked a dog, you’ve had this moment. Your dog stands stone-still. Her eyes are glued on a dog or person nearby, and she’s firmly planted until that moving being gets closer. You just want to walk on, but your dog wants to play (or bark).
Pre-COVID-19, you may have shrugged, held the small talk and let the two dogs meet. During COVID-19, if you’re like me, you’re making sure the dog owner stays 6 feet away from you and flinch a little bit if this person touches your dog. (Always ask for permission. Don’t get cursed out for petting someone’s dog without a green light — and definitely don’t start feeding someone’s dog food without their knowledge.)
Nowadays, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds an extra layer of protection that dog owners should be aware of:
People with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals, including pets, livestock and wildlife.
Most pets that have gotten sick from the virus that causes COVID-19 were infected after close contact with a person with COVID-19.
As of July 14, 2021, there is a temporary suspension for dogs entering the United States from high-risk countries for dog rabies. This includes dogs arriving from countries not at high risk if the dogs have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months.
Imagine someone walking up to your dog, but you have to stop and ask:
Before you pet my dog, are you infected with COVID-19?
Is your dog from a high-risk country?
Did your dog enter the country from a CDC quarantine station?
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You already know the kind of funny looks you’ll get. It’s easier to just dodge strangers altogether and walk across the street. If you do the latter, you lose multiple opportunities to socialize your dog.
Recommended Read: “Walking dogs during the coronavirus scare ~ Be wary of instant Internet coronavirus experts, opt for proven results”
If you don’t, you risk your dog getting sick from someone who will never pay their veterinary bills, never admit they’re not vaccinated or have coronavirus, and never really give a damn what happens to your pet once they walk by. It’s a lose-lose situation.