We love our HSSC family and we’re keeping you in our hearts throughout this challenging time. We will be posting updates about our programs and services on Facebook and here on our website as things continue to evolve. In the meantime, we encourage you to follow CDC, State and County guidelines for your safety and the well-being of our community. We will be here for the animals – they need us now more than ever. Please consider a gift of support if you can. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no animals in the United States have been identified with the virus, and there is no evidence that dogs or other pets can spread COVID-19. Although there has been a report of a dog in Hong Kong who tested “weakly positive,” the World Organisation for Animal Health has confirmed that the current spread of COVID-19 is a result of human-to-human transmission.

Planning Ahead:

While we’re at home, sheltering in place, now would be a great time to ensure a plan is in place for who will take care of your pet if you are temporarily not able to do so. Here are some great tips to ensure we are prepared:

• Make sure you have up-to-date contact information for neighbors, friends and/or family members who can care for animals in your absence. Have this information handy and easily accessible, for example put it in a visible location, such as on your fridge.
• Make a list for each animal for their food, including quantities, number of feedings and approximate time(s) of feeding per day. Be sure to include information about pet medications, prescriptions, and flea/tick control, etc.
• Have a file folder ready with veterinary information including rabies vaccinations, medical paperwork, etc.
• Also, as a best practice, be sure that your pet’s microchip is up-to-date (with your current cell phone number and email address) and that your animal’s collar has proper ID tags, (if you don’t have tags, use a permanent marker to write your phone number on the collar). This will also help your neighbors get your pet back to you in the event they go missing, and will prevent them from having to enter the shelter.

Here’s a great easy-to-read guide for keeping pets safe during the Shelter In Place order:

For more information about Coronavirus and Pets, please visit the CDC website at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#animals For up-to-date Sonoma County information, please visit: socoemergency.org/emergency/coronavirus/ To sign up for alerts, please visit: socoemergency.org HSSC staff is closely following the guidelines set forth by the CDC, State and County and we are adapting our programs and services as necessary to protect the public. As always, wash your hands thoroughly and regularly and take steps to keep yourself healthy — we believe that it is always a good idea to wash your hands after being around animals. For the additional information on COVID-19 and pets, please visit this trusted source: UF Health