Pets Can Spread or Contract COVID-19: Fact or Fiction?

Every news channel, every social media post and every person you know, only talks about COVID-19. This is because it’s global and getting more serious with time. As uncertainty surrounds this novel coronavirus. People have more questions than ever, with most of them left unanswered. One of the most common questions that are doing circles among people is related to the safety of their pets. If you own a pet like a cat or an emotional support dog. You may also be wondering. Can pets spread or contract COVID-19? Well, let’s find out.

What’s the Truth?

Most questions related to pets and coronavirus must be from concerned owners who treat their pets like family. However, there may be some who had this doubt after learning that COVID-19 began from a wild animal. This piece of information is a fact. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 is known to have jumped from animals to humans. However, the exact animal is still not confirmed.

So what about pets. What role do they play in this pandemic?

Can Pets Contract COVID-19?

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began in China. People had doubts if their pets are safe from such a contagious virus. And the doubts increased when one of the infected person’s pet pomeranian in Hong Kong tested positive for COVID-19. The dog showed light infection and no clinical symptoms. So it was concluded that the dog’s nose had accumulated the virus after being in close contact with the infected person.

This is when the CDC and the WHO stepped in and announced that they had no evidence of pets getting infected or being sick with the novel coronavirus. However, recently in a zoo in the United States, it has been reported that some tigers have developed a respiratory illness after coming in contact with an infected person. The investigation has not reached a conclusion yet.

Can Pets Spread COVID-19?

As per the CDC, there is no evidence of pets spreading the virus yet. However, remember that dogs, cats or other animals can become carriers of germs. So if your pet is around an infected person and the person sneezes or coughs around your pet. There are chances of an indirect transmission of the virus to a healthy person. Though there are no reported cases yet, but the probability is also very likely.

So What’s the Conclusion?

None of the reports by the CDC or the WHO has confirmed or denied the role of pets in spreading or contacting COVID-19. The only answer is that there is no evidence that proves either of the cases yet. So you must stay safe than sorry.

Remember that it’s not only you who must follow social distancing but also your pets. Make sure that your pets are nowhere around an infected person. Wash your hands every time you touch your pets. To be safer, give your dogs a nice bath so that they are disinfected and keep them from going out of the house.


So the conclusion is to not take this situation seriously or lightly. Stay home and keep your pets at home too.