Owners must act responsibly and care for their pets

Li Wenqi, a health volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic, runs with a dog she adopted in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. [Photo/Xinhua]

According to Sun, putting masks on cats or dogs will interfere with their breathing and cause them unnecessary stress.

"For some dogs whose noses and mouths are flat, such as pugs and bulldogs, wearing masks may cause heatstroke," Sun says.

Sun says pet owners should avoid their pets having unnecessary contacts with other pets or humans during the pandemic, and when returning home from outside, pet owners should wash their hands first before touching their pets.

"After walking the dogs, owners should wipe the dogs' hair with wet tissue, especially their faces and claws. They should also bath them and get rid of parasites regularly," Sun says, adding that pet owners also need to be aware whether the disinfecting wipes include elements that are poisonous to animals.

Sun advises pet owners not to bring pets to the wild to lessen the opportunities for contact with wildlife, and to not let the pets go near other pets' faces.

He says cats and dogs have provided companionship for their owners during home quarantines and he urges owners not to abandon their pets under any circumstances.

"Animals should not be the victims of this pandemic. Abandoning pets not only brings unnecessary pain but also causes further panic. It's not the solution for this pandemic," Sun says.

Stray dogs have higher risks of being exposed to zoonotic diseases such as rabies which pose potential threats to people.

"We call on all pet owners to treat their companion pets nicely. The pets are their responsibility once they decide to have them," Sun says.

Sun says adopting stray animals can fulfill people's wish of raising a pet and also reduce the number of stray animals and give them a new home.

"Good-hearted people can call local animal shelters to ask if there are dogs to be taken care of during the work from home period due to the pandemic, which can provide a temporary place for stray dogs before they are adopted," he says.

Sun also notices there are news about owners abandoning wild animals that they have been keeping as pets. He thinks wildlife is neither suitable nor right to raise as pets.

"Raising wildlife pets can be a threat to people's health. Their natural characteristics mean they are not suitable as pets," Sun explains.