If I have COVID-19 and need to hand my pet over to a friend/family/kennels what precautions should I take?

The following information has been provided by MPI

Washing hands and physical distancing are the best way to protect against the virus. Any handover arrangement with friend or boarding facility should be arranged in advance and allow for the handover to be made while still maintaining a physical distance of 2m.

Pets who may have been exposed to COVID-19 should be washed or segregated on arrival.           

Option 1 – Bathing (recommended):

Bathing with a shampoo will mechanically remove and inactivate viral particles (similar to handwashing). Animals decontaminated on intake can be housed in a low-traffic area where other animals are housed provided there are no opportunities for direct contact between animals.

Option 2 – Segregation:

When bathing is not possible, isolate in double-sided housing so feeding and cleaning can be completed without handling the animal for 5 days, after which time the viral particles are expected to become naturally inactivated.

Where possible, disposable cardboard boxes should be used to transport animals. Where animals are transported within cages, these should be cleaned after use.