Some Egyptians are abandoning their pets based on rumours that the animals could transmit COVID-19 to their owners, Egyptian animal care workers say.
An animal welfare organisation says the number of rescued pets from the streets is large, about two to three a day.
“We always follow the scientific opinion of the WHO (World Health Organization) which says that animals don’t transmit the disease to humans,” says Ahmed Elshorbagi, founder of ‘The Hope’ dogs shelter in Cairo.
According to Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners.
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