Soi Dog Foundation official statement on COVID-19 and the risk to animal health

There have been no cases of suspected COVID-19 infection found in dogs or cats in Thailand.

To date, there have only been a handful of cases worldwide of dogs and cats found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. The majority did not show any symptoms of illness; some presented with mild respiratory symptoms. All bar one made a full recovery, a geriatric canine in Hong Kong who tested positive and died, though this was likely due to an underlying disease.

Based on the experimental and natural exposure information gathered so far, infection of dogs and cats is most likely associated with exposure to an infected human. It is difficult to infect dogs and cats with SARS-CoV-2. Clinical illness is unlikely and self-limited when it occurs, and no documented cases of long-term shedding at levels likely to infect humans.

There is no evidence that dogs and cats play a role in spreading the virus. Therefore, there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare. Furthermore, in these unprecedented times when millions of people are self-isolating in their homes, the benefits of the company of a pet cannot be underestimated, especially for people coping with mental illness.

Note that the canine coronavirus (which can cause mild diarrhea) and the feline coronavirus (which can cause feline infectious peritonitis) are widespread in shelter environments around the world, though are NOT associated with the current coronavirus outbreak. All dogs at Soi Dog Foundation are vaccinated against canine coronavirus.

With regard to the precautions taken against the spread of the virus among humans, Soi Dog Foundation is closely following the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Author: Dr.Alicja Izydorczyk MRCVS

International Director of Animal Welfare, Soi Dog Foundation

Sanctuary Visitors and Volunteers 

The sanctuary is open as normal to visitors and volunteers and restrictions are relaxed.

As a guest of Soi Dog, you will be given all of the relevant information by our team of coordinators upon arrival.

Please email volunteering@soidog.org for more information.

International adoptions

Please note that, due to many flight cancellations in response to Covid-19, we are unable to use flight volunteers and are limited to using cargo options to fly adopted dogs to their forever homes at the moment. However, we are still taking enquiries and registrations of interest. Please email adoptions@soidog.org for more information.

Additionally, a number of our dogs are already located at our partner rescue organisations across the USA and Canada. If you are interested in adopting from them, please email partnerrescue@soidog.org

To find out how you can support us at this difficult time, please click here.

Advice for pet owners

As stated above in Soi Dog's official communication from the Director of Animal Welfare, there is currently no evidence that companion animals could be a source of infection to people. As we read heartbreaking stories of unnecessary pet abandonment during the outbreak, it highlights the importance of following the advice of professionals. 

A reliable source of information can be found on the World Small Animal Veterinary Association website. WSAVA reassurances for pet owners during the outbreak can be found here and advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can be found here.