Abstract
Adequate training and collaboration skills for all the professional figures involved in animal rescue activities are needed. Nowadays the real challenge for all rescuers is to consider the multiple aspects of the human-animal-environment relationship that have changed profoundly throughout history and that make the COVID-19 pandemic unique in its kind. In this period the emergency to be addressed consists in providing the assistance of animals which belong to people who have died, been hospitalized or forced to isolate. A careful analysis of the different scenarios reveals that there is no single solution to intervene, but that it is necessary to find the most suitable alternative to individual cases. The aim of this paper is to offer specific indications to volunteers, veterinarians and not, in different scenarios not losing sight of the goal: to protect the welfare of the animal and its owner, avoiding the spread of the infection.
Even though One Health is an ancient concept that dates back to 1800, since the last years it’s been very used and it have recognized that the health of people is strictly connected to the health of animal and the environment where they live. Never as today, living one of the worst – maybe the first – world health emergency, this concept must be remembered and underlined. Additionally, current One Health initiatives are undertaken at international, federal, and provincial levels yet often fail to have an impact at a community and primary care level (Jordan & Lem, 2014). Human choices and actions, exploitation of natural resources and change in the relationship with animals gets to an increase of human and animal diseases, animal welfare problems and a suffering of the planet (pollution, climate changes, death of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity) so much that in the last years the concept of One Health has been extended to that of One Welfare (Fraser, 2008; Pinillos et al., 2016) which emphasizes the strong connection between animal welfare and human health. Recently it has been added the concept of One Biology (Tarazona et al., 2020) because the biological principles are exactly the same for humans and all other animals: whilst different kinds of animals have different needs, the concept of health and welfare are exactly the same for humans and other species.
These added concepts may help understanding the value of oath that vets made after degree. They easily respect it in any area they work, both in the public and the private service. On one hand public veterinary services are focused on threats to human and animal health, healing and preventing zoonoses or ensuring hygiene and inspection of food of animal origin. On the other hand, veterinarians in private practice take care of pets preserving the human-animal bond that offers many positive physical and psychosocial effects (Jordan & Lem, 2014). Similarly, veterinarians are involved in human health protection in AAI (Animal Assisted Interventions) too ensuring the success of the intervention by choosing the suitable animal and monitoring its welfare.
In Italy, in this context the need for adequate training and collaboration skills, not only for the veterinarians but for all the professional figures involved in the interventions, has long been recognized at an institutional level (National Guidelines for Animal Assisted Interventions (IAA), issued by the Italian Government, approved at the State Regions Conference on 25 March 2015).1 The same requirements in preparation and team work are also desirable in the management of emergencies in the various scenarios that natural or human-caused disasters raise (Dalla Villa et al., 2019).
In these cases the intervention of the animal rescue volunteers, veterinarians or other professionals, does not only consist in rescuing injured or life threatening animals. Often they must collaborate with those who work to save people who, for example, refuse to obey an evacuation order, not to abandon their animal or who put at risk, or even lose their lives, to save their animals (Heath et al., 2001; Glassey & Wilson, 2011).
During emergencies, improvisation and love for animals can prove ineffective or even counterproductive and harmful.
For some years this principle has been embraced and opposed by the National Voluntary Association of Civil Protection EMERVET which, in addition to the mission of operating in the territories affected by disasters, also deals with the training of volunteers, veterinarians and not, providing them with the tools and technical-scientific, ethological and human-animal bond knowledge to be able to intervene in these scenarios at best, avoiding or reducing the risks for themselves and for the rescued animals. Now for EMERVET, considering the levels of organization reached to cope with different disasters, the real challenge is to consider also the multiple aspects of the human-animal-environment relationship that have changed profoundly throughout history and that must not more to be underestimated.
These are the same aspects that make the emergency we are experiencing – caused by the pandemic COVID-19 – unique in its kind. This emergency provides the entire category of veterinarians with new elements to fully include private and public services into aid of animals. These activities – carried out directly or in support with the activation of the veterinary component of the 2-Health-Veterinary and Social Function in the Emergency Operating Centers (DICOMAC-CCS-COM-COC), activated by local and institutional bodies – to obtain the expected results, they must be carried out in a coordinated way with the other professionals involved in emergency management for specific interventions as required by current Italian Government: Legislative Decree 1/2019 “Civil Protection Code”.
For these reasons, during the COVID-19 pandemic, veterinarians cannot fail to deal with totally different and unexpected scenarios compared to the usual ones, deriving from natural disasters or caused by human activity, which Civil Protection and EMERVET are used to face up to. For veterinarians in fact the emergency to be addressed, from the beginning of the pandemic to its end, consists in providing the assistance of animals which belong to people who have died, been hospitalized or forced to isolate due to the virus (Table 1). Rescuers must satisfy the physical needs of animals, such as feeding, physiological evacuations and veterinary care, but also ethological ones, such as social contact and physical activity, most of all for dogs. An immediate and easy intervention to this aim would seem to find a new accommodation for the animal with relatives or acquaintances or health kennels, after risk analysis based on the origin of the animal (environment with or without the presence of infected people), as indicated at the beginning by the ISS (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Guidelines of Italian College of Health) issued with the Ministry of Health note 0009224-17/04/2020 – DGSAF – MDS – P.
Safety procedures for handling pets in COVID-19 emergency. Indicated by Guidelines of Italian College of Health issued with the Ministry of Health note 0009224-17/04/2020 – DGSAF – MDS – P
Citation: Journal of Applied Animal Ethics Research 3, 1 (2021) ; 10.1163/25889567-BJA10017
However, this solution involves many inconveniences for the animal, such as the stress caused by separation from the owner and adaptation to a new environment, different management and new contacts with unknown people (Table 2). Adaptation can occur in a short time, but it could raise some difficulties or it can’t occur completely, especially for elderly animals or those animals who have never lived similar experiences in the past or who are affected by behavioral disorders.
Risks for the pet in the different measures
Citation: Journal of Applied Animal Ethics Research 3, 1 (2021) ; 10.1163/25889567-BJA10017
Furthermore, for owners in isolation in their own home, the separation from their animals involves an additional load of psychological suffering, given by the sense of guilt and concern for the health of the animal. In fact, removing the animal, all the beneficial effects that a pet is able to provide to the owner (or to an entire family) and that are amplified in conditions of illness or mourning, fail.
An alternative solution could be to offer owners in trustee isolation or quarantine, house assistance to care pets and ensure them the satisfaction of physical and ethological needs, as recently indicated by the ISS in the latest report (Rapporto ISS COVID-19 n. 16/2020).2 This type of intervention is most urgent in the case of those who own a dog, an animal that needs physical and exploratory activity outside.
However, even this solution can present risks. In fact, although till now there is no scientific evidence on the active role of pets in the transmission of SARS-CoV2, it can be assumed that they can play a passive role in the spread of the virus, in the same way as any inanimate objects possibly contaminated. The biological risk can therefore be avoided, or drastically reduced, through the use of suitable devices (PPE – Personal Protective Equipment) such as masks and gloves or the careful washing of the hands. In any case, it’s necessary to avoid touching one own’s face and entering the home by keeping the safety distance from the owner at the time of delivery of the animal.
Another risk for the volunteer is linked to the management of an unknown animal which, out of fear, could exhibit aggressive behavior. This risk can be limited by properly approaching the animal but in this new scenario there could be animals that, for example, have never been cared for by unknown people, or they are affected by behavioral disorders or organic diseases that require additional safety procedures (Table 3). In addition, the fear of the animal towards unknown people can be exacerbated by the mask on the face of the volunteers or by odors deriving from the use of particular gloves or disinfectants. For correct management of the animal at the time of delivery, see Tables 4 and 5. It is therefore desirable that volunteers have acquired complete training, both from a technical and an ethological point of view, to avoid causing damage to themselves and stress conditions to the animal.
Risks for the volunteer in the different measures
Citation: Journal of Applied Animal Ethics Research 3, 1 (2021) ; 10.1163/25889567-BJA10017
Operating procedure in case of pets showing fear towards people wearing mask and gloves
Citation: Journal of Applied Animal Ethics Research 3, 1 (2021) ; 10.1163/25889567-BJA10017
Operating procedure in case of delivery of the pet by the owner to the volunteer
Citation: Journal of Applied Animal Ethics Research 3, 1 (2021) ; 10.1163/25889567-BJA10017
From these reflections it emerges that, within this kind of emergency, different scenario arise and that there is no single solution to intervene, but that it is necessary to find the most suitable alternative to individual cases, not losing sight of the goal: to protect the welfare of the animal and its owner, avoiding the spread of the infection.
The choice of intervention to be adopted therefore provides for collaboration between professional figures with different skills both in the epidemiological and veterinary medical fields including the ethological and bond concerned aspects.
During the COVID-19 pandemic it is highlighted that the human-animal bond should no longer represent a gap in the various operational areas of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinarians who work both in public or in private services should by now have gained the need to know and exploit the mechanisms that underlie the relationship between pet and owner to improve their performance both in ordinary activities and in case of emergencies. The North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium (NAVMEC) has identified knowledge of One Health concepts and principles as a core competency for veterinarians who will graduate in the 21st century (Jordan & Lem, 2014) but all knowledge about human-animal bond must be included in the concept of One Health. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.” This definition has included not only physiological, but also emotional and social (behavioral and natural) states as are often described in the definition of good welfare.
The serious situation we have experienced and which is still being experienced in some parts of the world is further evidence of this. The benefits offered by the animal, in fact, can also be found in people not affected by the virus but forced to lockdown whose life, in many cases, has changed drastically and almost radically, losing social contact and with the external environment.
In these cases pets, in addition to offering the owner the opportunity to go out, allows him to maintain contact with nature even within the home. They also alleviate worries, decrease anxiety, stimulate the owner taking care of himself and others, helps to mark the routine (linked to meal times and physiological needs of the pets). Even the ISS has recently recognized that pets contribute to human well-being, especially in times of stress such as those we are experiencing, and that spending time with pets and daily walking dogs (respecting of the legislation) helps to keep ourselves and our animals healthy.
Contrary to what could been hypothesized – considering health, economic and social difficulties due to the pandemic – the adoption rate of dogs increased significantly, while abandonment did not change during the first lockdown worldwide (Morgan et al., 2020). It would be interesting to investigate in the future, at the end of this emergency, if the people who live with animals today were also favored in the resilience process compared to people who do not live with animals. Pets have been found to be important for disaster resilience especially for the most vulnerable categories of people such as children and older or disabled people (Thompson et al., 2014).
In the meantime it should be very important to start a scientific approach for analyzing how life has changed for animals too. If on the one hand the new condition linked to lockdown would seem to have brought them advantages – such as the almost constant presence of the owner – on the other it has caused the loss of spatial and temporal references that are strictly necessary for an animal to successfully adapt to the environment in which it lives. These aspects are further needed in animals that present behavioral disorders and, in particular, anxiety disorders.
In addition to the greater presence of the owner, in fact, the change in his habits and the prolonged silence outside – due to the absence, or drastic reduction, of road traffic and the passage of people – represent for the animals heavy changes in their spatial and temporal sphere. This condition has entailed – at least in the initial phase of the emergency – the worsening of altered behaviors or the appearance of behaviors never seen before, as some recent studies have already highlighted (Morgan et al., 2020; Holland et al., 2021).
The new lifestyle due to the lockdown has led to some difficulties in fully satisfying the ethological needs of pets: those most complained by dog owners are related to meeting the social needs in the USA (Applebaum et al., 2020,) and sufficient exercise in the UK (Holland et al., 2021).
Finally, even at the end of the emergency the resumption of the owner’s activities and the return to his habits have caused further discomfort in the animals, especially related to loneliness (Holland et al., 2021).
During the emergency the Italian government also focused on organizing the so-called ‘Phase 2’, in order to encourage the resumption of work and the return to life before the epidemic. Similarly, efforts should have been made in the veterinary field to estimate a plan to contain the stress response in animals due to the adaptation during the ‘Phase 2’, and the onset of behavioral problems, remembering that the latter can lead to compromise of the relationship with the owner. In fact behavioral problems turn out to be the first cause of abandonment and/or request for euthanasia in various Italian and foreign studies (Mondelli et al., 2004; Sherman & Serpell, 2008). Encompassing the implications of human animal bond is needed also to prevent the development of physical or behavioural deseases in pets (Wensley, 2008). Strong attachment bonds between owners and their pet are known to be protective of relinquishment (Kwan & Bain, 2013) but it is possible that the human-animal bond may be compromised due to the owner’s issues with the pet during the pandemic (Applebaum et al., 2020). As a large survey of pet owners in USA has pointed out, during the pandemic some pet owners became exasperated, annoyed or frustrated by pets’ desire for attention or repeated interruptions during their work-from-home (Applebaum et al., 2020).
Once again it can be understood that nowadays it is fundamental for the veterinary profession to know the human-animal bond (Ormerod, 2008). Results of a study made in Washington State turns out that human animal bond is considered very important by veterinarians in private practice but it’s ranked to fifth degree of priority after other nontechnical skills such as communication, ethical reasoning, business management and training (Martin & Touton, 2006). The challenge for the veterinary profession is to ensure that widespread positive sentiment toward animals, which the human-animal bond generates, is translated in to human behavior and actions that are conducive to good animal welfare (Wensley, 2008). An important goal in teaching to veterinary student should be facilitate opportunities for not only applying and practicing core learning, but also learning how veterinarians are connected with their communities and with society as a whole (Jordan & Lem, 2014).
Developing and preserving the human-animal-environment relationship in a healthy way perhaps now takes on a clearer meaning for everyone. This delicate and, at the same time, complex aspect should be included in the training of a veterinarian student because if carried out subsequently in the work activity only by individuals, it has little impact on the community (Jordan & Lem, 2014).
Extending the course of study to six years, as for the degree in human medicine and surgery, could be a valid proposal to achieve this goal and also to be able to cope with the shortcomings found in young graduates concerning, in addition to the aspect just mentioned (animal behavior, ethical principles and communication skills with the customer). Perhaps all these reflections can offer to Civil protection Volunteers some useful tools to deal with some aspects of this emergency in a One Health perspective.
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