I’m sitting in my office, looking outside at the beautiful weather, of course this was on Saturday and Sunday before the snow on Monday, and I think to myself it is time for a run. I am currently training for a half marathon in May unless it is cancelled and the New York Marathon in November, and I go to the rail trail to run and low and behold everyone else had the same idea. It got me thinking about social distance, quarantine and COVID-19.
There are some crazy things out on the web, we encourage you to visit our page, the CDC or NY State Government websites, for the most up to date information. For example, I read that this virus is because we eat meat – this from a vegan site- they claim that the whole reason for the virus is because they eat wildlife in China. Now there is a tiny grain of truth in there if you dig far enough. It has nothing to do with eating meat (disclaimer I am a vegan), but it does have something to do with the deforestation, we have encroached upon wildlife habitats and destroyed them that we are in much closer contact to wild animals. This contact can allow all types of diseases to transfer from wildlife into a human population, think about rabies. So, no, eating meat is not the cause of corona.
The next thing I saw, which really makes me sad, is that people are abandoning their pets. This started in China, during the lockdown in Wuhan. People were just letting their dogs and cats go loose or leaving them in the house when they left. This left many pets to starve. Luckily, there have been some volunteers that have been able to feed these pets. People also seem to have some belief that dogs and cats can give them this virus. THIS IS TOTALLY FALSE. To the best of our current knowledge, pets do not get the disease, they don’t transfer it to us, and having a pet will not make you more likely to get the virus. If you think I am kidding, I have heard from colleagues who have been asked to euthanize pets because of the owners’ concerns. People are also dropping pets off at shelters for the same reasons.
Let’s be reasonable, I know this is a very scary and uncertain time for all of us, we are worried about our health, that of our families and friends, we have financial concerns, and the uncertainty of knowing when we are at the lowest point is very disconcerting. We will get through this, the sun will continue to rise, people will help each other, as Ann Landers said “Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and repeat to yourself, the most comforting words of all; this, too, shall pass.”
Now that we are all stuck inside, maybe it is time for a good cleaning. We have already gone through all our bookcases and set aside lots of books to donate, next come the closets, drawers etc. I hope that this does not last long enough to get to the garage- I’ll need a dumpster for that.
Don’t forget your four legged friends, 2 legged if you have birds and of course snakes are in a category by themselves. They are probably very excited to have you work from home, or just be around a lot more. Take this opportunity to knock those few pounds we’ve been telling you your dog needs to lose by getting out and walking, for cats grab the laser pointer, you can also take a fishing pole and attach something to the end and cast it out and reel it in- make sure your cat can’t eat the thing on the end.
We are all here for you and your pets, we will continue to post updates on our website as we have new information. We will be open during regular hours, but with a reduced staff, to take care of any sick patients. We are asking people to limit or put off any non emergent services to limit the people out and about as well as limit our use of medical supplies which may be needed by our human colleagues.
Please stay healthy, try your best to amuse yourself, laugh a little, better yet- take the dog out for a walk- they need exercise as well.
Jerry Scheck and Kim Buchanan
