What happens to pets whose owners die of coronavirus? Here’s what to know

Animal shelters across the U.S. are seeing an increase in pets as their owners are dying from the coronavirus pandemic, media outlets reported.

Miami-Dade County Animal Services in Miami took in a 7-year-old German shepherd mix after her owner had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and died from the disease, CNN reported.

“The dog was reactive and scared,” Alex Munoz, director of Miami-Dade County Animal Services, told CNN. “She lost her family.”

Animal shelters saw an increase in adoptions in late February and early March before stay-at-home-orders, CNBC reported.

They’re now experiencing an uptick due to pets being left without homes after their owners have died, according to CNN.

Animal Care Center in New York City told CNN it has taken in “more than two dozen pets whose owners have died from coronavirus” and other adoption centers have opened.

In New Jersey, a 9-year-old poodle named Che-Che was left without a home after her owners died from the coronavirus and was turned in to the Monmouth County SPCA, which found her a new owner, according to ABC7.

MSPCA-Angell’s Boston adoption center is also preparing for an influx of pets during the pandemic, according to a news release.

“We are bracing for a wave of COVID-19 surrenders in the coming weeks as both the disease — and the economic fallout associated with it — bite deeper in Massachusetts,” Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at MSPCA, said in the release.

Pets have also been left abandoned in China, due to owners not being able to take care of them during quarantine and being afraid of contamination, according to Time.

“It’s very concerning,” Mary Peng, founder of the International Center for Veterinary Services clinic in Beijing, told Time. “China’s animal shelters are generally unlicensed and run by good Samaritans and they are completely overwhelmed.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 2:57 PM with the headline "What happens to pets whose owners die of coronavirus? Here’s what to know."