The Association Blog

We have 3 officers for a large county with a population of over 100,000. Even though we are taking precautions, we still have to work. It’s a scary time.

We’re knocking it out and clearing the shelter with a push to adopt and foster. The only concern is having the right masks. We do have PPE for now but we’re gonna run out of Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer, which we use inside the trucks and between calls.

My fears are mostly having to enter homes of COVID-19 patients being hospitalized because there is nobody to care for these animals. We have PPE and the kennel is closed except for a couple of volunteers and myself.

Going into houses is the biggest thing I worry about…

And those are just a few of the many responses The National Animal Care & Control Association received when they posed the following question on their Facebook page early this week: “Animal control officers: What are you most worried about related to COVID-19? Your answers let us know how we can help.”

As needs and challenges arise and the situation develops, the Murrieta, CA-based association has released multiple official statements on COVID-19, the most recent to date addressing Removing Pets from Homes of Residents That Are or Suspected to Be Infected with COVID-19. “As more and more people fall ill as a result of this virus, animal control personnel will increasingly be required to remove animals from homes occupied by COVID-19 cases. This poses an additional risk to the health and safety of those officers,” wrote NACA. “For those agencies who do not have appropriate PPE, they should request at least one mask and gown for each field officer from their EMA, police or paramedics/Fire Dept. No officer should be required to enter a property without proper protection.”

Download and read here:

NACA’s 6 crucial recommendations for Removing Pets from Homes of Residents That Are or Suspected to Be Infected with COVID-19

Additional Resources

NACA Blog
NACA Statements on COVID-19