The San Diego Humane Society is asking people to make plans for their pets as part of their coronavirus preparation. That means knowing who would care for your pets if you were sick and had to go to the hospital.
"It's important that you have a plan and a backup plan and a backup to the backup plan because right now with numbers possibly spiking, you don't know if the backup plan that you may have, there's an unfortunate situation and that person may be hospitalized," said Nina Thompson, a spokeswoman with the San Diego Humane Society.
If you're sick but don't need to go to the hospital, she recommends you keep your pet at home.
While a tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for the coronavirus, the CDC has said there isn't evidence that pets can spread COVID-19 to people. So, it would be safe for someone else to take in your pet if you're sick.
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If a pet owner gets sick or dies and hasn't made arrangements, the Humane Society would take the pet in, Thompson said.
"We don't want anyone to have to relinquish their pet, we want pets to stay with their families because that's where they want to be and that's where they belong, but of course we're here as a resource if we need to," she said.
So far, relinquishments haven't gone up because of the coronavirus, she said.
Other plans to make for pets include keeping at least a two-week supply of pet food and water, as well medications and a travel crate.
Also, Thompson said, pet owners should create a written emergency plan for each pet, with feeding instructions, medical conditions, vaccination records, and veterinary contact information.
