The pandemic is changing the way pets get care

Dog and cat owners, and their pets, have been thrown for a loop with COVID-19 too. Rabies clinics are up in the air. Spaying, neutering, and surgeries are off for now too. But some of that is about to change.

At the Potter League for Animals in Middletown, the upside is that there's less than a handful of rabbits, cats, and dogs still left for adoption. During the pandemic, most have been scooped up. But like most other services, it's by appointment only.

Brad Shear, the League’s Executive Director, says that they’ve “limited our intake of animals to only the most urgent. So strays can still be brought in, animals that are involved in cruelty cases or other urgent circumstances can be brought in.”

The non-profit, geared towards those who can't afford a private practice veterinarian for pet care, have had to cancel or postpone pet surgeries. And the spay/neuter clinic in Warwick has been closed for now.

“All the procedures we do there are elective procedures. There are no emergencies seen there or other urgent care. We decided to stop all operations there,” adds Shear.

The good news is they hope to resume spaying and neutering of shelter animals next week in Middletown, and for all animals at the Warwick location the week after.

Mobile rabies clinics, that would fan out across communities to give booster and follow-up vaccinations, will probably not resume until later this summer.

Meanwhile, it's advised to practice social distancing from pets not in your household too, only because their owners may have COVID-19.

“I would treat the dog like an extension of the person,” cautions Shear.

Another layer of precaution as we navigate through this pandemic, with man's best friend.