During these difficult days in relation to Coronavirus or Covid-19 as well as thinking about the health and well being of one another we also need to ensure the animals of Guernsey are cared for.
While there is no evidence to suggest that pets can be carriers of Coronavirus or can become ill from it themselves, your pets may be impacted if you or any members of your family test positive for the virus or are asked to stay at home and self-isolate.
You may also find stray animals or wildlife that may have interacted with those that are self-isolating. It is extremely important to be aware of what you can do and ensuring your health and hygiene and washing hands as www.gov.gg/coronavirus advises.
If you haven't tested positive or been asked to self-isolate then continue to interact with your pets as normal but adopt good hygiene practices including washing hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after touching them, their food, toys and bedding.
Top tips for you and your animals
- Make sure you monitor the States of Guernsey website for updates www.gov.gg/coronavirus
- Avoid being kissed or licked by your pet(s)
- Do not share food with your animals
- Ensure you have extra supplies of pet food and medication in case of self-isolation
- See and confirm if friends or family can help with your pet(s) if you have to self-isolate especially if you have livestock or horses in remote locations. This is good practice for any time of life in case you ever have a medical emergency and can't care for your pet(s)
- Speak to your vet or doctor for further advice if required
- Wash your hands before and after handling your pet(s) or animals
- Cats still need access outdoors or to a clean litter tray and outdoor cats can go in and out as normal. The GSPCA has large bags of cat litter on sale as have many other retailers on island
- Mental stimulation is a great way to keep your pet(s) entertained and occupied, especially dogs which you might not be able to walk. Using food toys such as kongs or food cubes at meal times can keep you dog highly entertained
- Many animals love to play whether its your cat playing with your cat toy fishing rod to playing fetch with your dog in the garden
- Many pet(s) love a treat and teaching them a new trick can keep both them and you entertained for hours
- Hiding treats around the home or garden can keep your pet(s) entertained or making toys for them such as dog ice lollies on warm days or how about filling a loo roll full of healthy veg for your rabbit to keep them busy
- Don’t forget toilet breaks - remember your dog will still need to go outside to use the toilet so make sure they get regular access to the garden or safe area to do what they need to do
- If you have any worries about your pet's health during self-isolation give your vet a call or if not an emergency an email to avoid going in and seeing them and putting others at risk
If you have been diagnosed with Coronavirus (Covid-19) please ensure you are up to date with the latest procedures and what to do on the States of Guernsey website www.gov.gg/coronavirus
The current advice is to restrict contact with pets as much as possible as a precautionary animal health measure. If you do need to interact with your pet, as mentioned please ensure you wash your hands before and after any interaction with them and follow all latest advice.
If you are self-isolating or have Covid-19 and your pet shows signs of ill health, please do not take them to the vet but call them for advice the latest advice.
Remember these are precautionary measures and there is currently no evidence that pets can spread coronavirus or become unwell.
What to do if you find a sick or stray animal?
At the GSPCA we help over 3000 sick, injured, stray, cruelly treated and unwanted animals every year and coming into Spring it becomes extremely busy for animals in need.
We run a 24/7 helpline 01481 257261 option 2, but as you can imagine at this time the GSPCA are having to take extra precautions for the safety of the team and our community due to Coronavirus.
Your health and well being is extremely important and if you do find and help any animal please ensure you wash appropriately your hands and anything that the animal may have been in contact with the animal as the owner could have been self-isolating and you will not know the history of the animal.
Ideally please handle the animal as little as possible to reduce risks and don’t try to kiss or cuddle the animal or let them lick you. If you have gloves or can contain the animal without handling this is highly advisable but we are at the end of the phone for help, advice and guidance.
We have asked that only essential visits to the GSPCA take place and we have appropriate signs and wash stations on site as well as increased biosecurity measures.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said "These are challenging times with the current Coronavirus risk to us all and at the GSPCA we have put together some advice for pet and animal owners."
"There are increasing numbers that are now working from home or self-isolating and there are many things we can do to keep our pets entertained."
"We've got a great list of advice and ideas and hopefully these will help keep owners and their pets happy and entertained over the coming weeks and months."
"For those that find stray, sick or wild animals in need they need to ensure their personal safety and hygiene."
"Stray animals could have escaped from those self-isolating and handling them could pose a possible risk to their health, so please ensure you wash your hands afterwards, be mindful not to touch your face and ideally use gloves and especially wash areas the animals have come in contact with."
"We do have our 24/7 emergency number if anyone finds a sick, injured or stray animal in need and require help please call the GSPCA on 01481 257261 and chose the emergency option by pressing 2."
"We all need to ensure we have someone to care for our animals if something were to happen to ourselves and we aren't able to provide for their care so we are appealing for all animal owners to ensure they have family or friends that can assist if ever this was to arise."
"At the GSPCA we have postponed all our upcoming events but we still really need your support and to donate to the animals in our care please visit www.paypal.me/DonateGSPCA ."
Due to Coronavirus the GSPCA is having to take a number of precautions which at this time includes postponing room hire, volunteer inductions, first aid courses, dog training, educational talks, educational visits, events run by the GSPCA until further notice. For the latest information and advice please visit http://www.gspca.org.gg/search/node/coronavirus
Help us help animals this decade. From donating to Sponsoring a Pen, Buying a Brick for the much needed Wildlife Hospital to our Amazon and main page Wish List, holding a mufti day to a sponsored Christmas dip, here are some of the ways you could help give animals joy this year.
For lots more ideas on how you can support the shelter and the animals in our care then please visit our fundraising page www.gspca.org.gg/fundraising
To see a list of our volunteer induction evenings which we hold each month and for more information please visit http://gspca.org.gg/about/volunteers or call 257261
To find out more on trips, talks and our education work please email [email protected] or call 01481 257261
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