Fear and misinformation over the COVID-19 prompted many pet owners in Hyderabad to abandon their pets. In fact, animal rights activists who rescue and foster abandoned animals said they find themselves saving more than a usual number of pets since the pandemic struck in March. On the brighter side, however, they are also noticing a trend where more people are adopting pets.
Sarthak coordinates with people across the city and runs a set of WhatsApp groups for rescuing and fostering pets. “During the lockdown, a lot of people came forward for fostering and adoption. It is probably the ‘work from home’ system that has given people time to take care of pets,” said the techie who runs a foster home for cats and is presently caring for a kitten. “There is a network of people who rescue cats and dogs, but mainly kittens or puppies found roaming without their mother,” he added.
Jayanth picked up three kittens on the road after the mother cat was run over by a car. He decided to take them home as he had more free time in hand while preparing for his masters. "The lockdown gave me time in my hands and I thought why not try foster. So I am presently caring for three neonatal kittens. I will put them up for adoption once they reach a certain age," he said.
Animal rights organisations like the People For Animals (PFA) in Hyderabad, on the other hand, have been witnessing more number of pet abandonment than usual. PFA, which works on the implementation of animal rights and welfare laws, stated that under Section 11 (i) of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, abandoning an animal, leaving it in a situation that it suffers pain due to starvation or thirst, is a punishable offence. However, the fine is just Rs 50.
On average, the volunteers of the animal rights group used to rescue 30 to 40 per month abandoned pets before COVID-19 in March. However, these numbers have gone up to 50 to 60 per month since March-end, claimed the activists.
”These figures are based on social media posts on finding pedigree dogs from the streets. The actual number of abandoned pets could be higher,” said Joyce A, an activist with PFA. “People have an irrational fear that they may contract the COVID-19 virus from their pet animals. We have come across a few instances where pets were abandoned over such misconception,” said Joyce.
The activist's group is presently trying to educate the public on identifying signs of illness among pets and on providing them with early treatment. “When the pet owners find that the animal is sick, some don't provide timely medication. When the health of the pet deteriorates, they abandon it,” said the activist who called the practice a crime. The most commonly abandoned pets among dogs are Pomeranians, German shepherds and labradors.
According to Dr Gangadar, a veterinary surgeon of Global Animal Hospital, Secunderabad, concerns over pet animals spreading the disease is unscientific. “ There is a coronavirus strain that affects animals only. People have a misunderstanding that the coronavirus disease seen among animals and humans are the same. There is a difference in the genetic strain of the coronavirus that causes diseases among animals and humans,” said the doctor, adding that the science, however, is not precise if the virus strain that can affect humans can affect animals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based on limited information currently, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered low. The CDC also stated that in some cases, the virus could spread from human beings to animals.
Joyce also explained what happens to pets when their owners abandon them. “When a pet dog is abandoned, it is confused for the first few hours, wondering why its master drove away without it. The dog will wonder if it has done some wrong. Only after a few hours does it realise that the master has abandoned them. It is after this that depression sets it and they eat only to survive; the playfulness will vanish,” said the activist. “If the dog gets re-adopted and finds a loving home, then there is an 80% chance that they will recover,” she added.
Sarthak, too, comes across pets abandoned in Hyderabad through his WhatsApp networks. His speciality, however, is identifying abandoned cats.
“Cats, by nature, avoid humans. But if a cat is friendly, it means it has lived among humans. So we can identify if the cat ran away or was abandoned. The cats will take a couple of weeks to adjust to a new surrounding, but they do love cupboards,” he added.