Coronavirus: Montgomery County Animal Resource Center no longer accepting dogs brought in from public

ajc.com

The Montgomery County Animal Resource Center is no longer accepting stray dogs brought in by the public in an effort to help protect people during the coronavirus pandemic.

>>Coronavirus: Experts say dogs, cats are not affected

“We need to limit the intake of animals to protect both our officers and the general public,” said Animal Resource Center Director Robert Gruhl. “We must do our part to stop the spread of this disease.”

ARC is also limiting the building to five public visitors at any time to promote social distancing and limit the spread of COVID-19, said Public Information Officer Michael Zimmerman in a release.

The resource center will only dispatch officers for assistance with police cases or situations where there is imminent danger to the public.

Anyone who finds a dog is asked to call 937-898-4457 and send a photo of the dog to AnimalShelter@mcohio.org if possible.

They will be asked to provide a foster and/or try to find the owner. ARC recommends using Facebook groups dedicated to lost pets as a resource.

>>Coronavirus: Animal shelters could use foster homes for pets during pandemic social distancing

Those who believe their lost dog is at ARC are encouraged to call to make arrangements to view the dog safely.

Lost dogs can be viewed on the shelter's website here.

For information on finding a new home for a pet, visit here.

Health officials have stated there is no evidence that dogs or cats are at any risk of getting sick from the virus, and there is no risk that they could spread COVID-19 to people.

“All health organizations and veterinary organizations confirmed that there is no threat of getting the virus from your dogs, cats or other pets. Although they do continue to monitor and evaluate this, at this point interaction with your pet is fine,” Brian Weltge, President and CEO of the Humane Society of Greater Day said in a statement.

About the Author