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COVID-19 Resources

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Cornell Shelter Medicine Office Hours

hosted by MSMP at Cornell

Fridays at 4PM EST 

Click here to join: https://cornell.zoom.us/j/98543679429?pwd=TThINWdzb0ZEZXJMV1lpRHJWZkMxUT09. 

CUMSMP's COVID-19 Animal Sheltering Guidelines

Many organizations are writing guidelines and protocols to address challenges in sheltering due to COVID-19 concerns.  Below we collect and summarize recommendations to provide the most succinct version of what is currently considered best practice for shelters; at times we have added some recommendations of our own based on current information and questions we have received. Resources are cited. Please check back as recommendations may change

Please click on each topic below to learn more. 

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to COVID-19

Reliable Resources Library

Responding to COVID-19 Concerns in the animal sheltering community           

Our Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program has been inundated with requests from veterinarians and animal shelters looking for reliable information for their humane organizations and communities.  Although the COVID-19 situation continues to rapidly evolve, there are good sources for policies, protocols, and practices that provide for greater human safety without sacrificing humane care. Many industry sites provide reliable and sound information for your community’s companion animal health professionals. In this challenging time, we recommend:

1. Consulting a reliable industry resource for general information on COVID-19 for animal shelters. We really like these:

2. Shelters performing animal control duties should prioritize only essential ACO functions: 

  • National Animal Control Association: https://www.nacanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NACA-Statement-on-Animal-Control-Functions-1.pdf - Animal control functions need to be focused on only the most essential tasks.  They should suspend all low priority/non-emergency activities (non-aggressive stray animal pickup, barking, leash law, nuisance, community cat, and conflict mitigation complaints), reduce shelter intake (emergency animals only, return to owner vs. impound, owners keep ill pets at home), and wear PPE in homes where someone has symptoms. A protocol for intake for ACOs is included.

3. Reducing the intake of cats into the shelter through all humane means possible:

4. Learning how to safely provide care for animals exposed to SARS-COV2, including intake procedures:

5. Being open to all ideas. Agencies will likely need to release unaltered pets from shelters during this pandemic. Here’s why. 

  • NACA: https://www.nacanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Releasing-Unaltered-Pets-from-Animal-Shelters-During-the-COVID-19-Pandemic.pdf -  The lack of immediately available spay and neuter services should not be a reason for shelter euthanasia. Three possible live outcome options: adopt out pets unaltered and provide vouchers for future use to get the pet spayed or neutered; outcome pets as ‘foster-to-adopt’ and provide surgeries in the future; and/or provide a list of low-cost spay and neuter services in the community for care after the pandemic is over.  Advise pets are kept indoors and not put at risk for reproducing in the home.

6. Increasing the capacity of foster care programs. This is essential to reducing in-shelter inventory of animals and minimizing risk to shelter staff from COVID-19 exposure. It also provides better welfare for shelter animals to be in a home environment, even if it is temporary.

7. If possible, continue to provide pet food pantries for owners in need. Do this is the safest way possible:

8. Pulling out all the stops to manage intake and support keeping pets in homes.

9. Following veterinary specific sites for reliable information about the virus and quickly evolving science. The following provide animal shelter kits, checklists, guides, and advice for veterinary professionals:

  • World Small Animal Vet Association:  https://wsava.org/news/highlighted-news/the-new-coronavirus-and-companion-animals-advice-for-wsava-members/ basic info about the virus, updated information available in several languages
  • AMVA: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19 - better information about the virus, tips on telemedicine, supply chain impacts, keeping vet teams healthy.

10. Emergency Resources for People and Pets

11. PPE & Sanitation Alternatives for Animal Shelters

1. "Shelter Sanitation: Part 1" (webinar, 30 minutes), Dr. Chumkee Aziz, DVM  https://www.aspcapro.org/webinar/20170711/shelter-sanitation-1#video-player 

2. "Shelter Sanitation: Part 2" (webinar, 30 minutes), Dr. Chumkee Aziz, DVM
https://www.aspcapro.org/webinar/20170718/shelter-sanitation-2

12. Other non-medical resources for shelters