Pet owners are allowed to take their pets out for necessary veterinary treatment but are not permitted to take their dogs out for a walk to relieve themselves this week, the Novel Coronavirus Prevention and Coordination Centre said at yesterday’s daily press conference about COVID-19.
The government has imposed a raft of COVID-19 control measures on the city this week in response to the current novel coronavirus outbreak.
The seven-day control measures, based on an executive order by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng promulgated in the Official Gazette (BO) on Saturday, which took effect yesterday and will remain in force through Sunday, requires all residents to only leave home for work, for urgent reasons such as going to a nucleic acid test (NAT) station, or to buy daily necessities.
The government said that taking pets to seek veterinary treatment is considered to be one of residents’ necessary outdoor activities during the seven-day control period. Consequently, the government allows pet owners to take their animals to a veterinary clinic this week.
While some veterinary clinics are understood to stay open this week, others are said to remain closed.
Speaking at yesterday’s daily press conference, Public Security Police (PSP) PR officer Lei Tak Fai said he did not consider taking dogs out to relieve themselves a necessary activity under this week’s special COVID-19 control measures, and that anyone found to be breaching the order would face up to two years in jail or a hefty fine.
Lei further stressed that punishment was not the focus of the order, but rather to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus by reducing unnecessary outdoor activities.
Lei said that starting yesterday, the police have sent officers to increase patrols and set up roadblocks in public areas, stopping pedestrians and drivers to question them about where they are heading.
The government urged pet owners to follow the Health Bureau’s (SSM) pandemic prevention guidelines when seeking veterinary treatment for their pets.
The Macau Post Daily talked to pet owners about this week’s “street poop” ban.
‘My dog can’t poop at home’
Leong, a pet owner of a 14-year-old dog, said he believed it’s necessary for his pet to relieve itself in the street. He also said that his dog “can’t poop at home.”
Leong said that he failed to train his dog to relieve itself in his flat as “he is not a professional dog trainer”, and his dog would hold its stool until it looked “obviously unwell”, and then having to go to the veterinary clinic so that the vet could help it defecate.
Leong said that normally he would take his dog for a walk when going out to buy daily necessities, as he regards his dog as a “family member”, and that if the dog happens to defecate while out in the street with him, he always acts as a “responsible pet owner” by picking up the dog’s poop.
Leong also said he believed that it “makes no sense” to ban pet owners from taking their pets out for walkies to relieve themselves and assumed that all those who own pets know that it’s a necessity.
He also said he believed that most pet owners are not exposed to more people when walking their dogs than when going to the supermarket, and that under normal circumstances, walking one’s dog does not cause a crowd gathering.
Ng, a pet owner of a 10-year-old dog, said that her canine is not used either to relieving itself at home.
Ng said that she has cut back on her outdoor activities since the current outbreak, only taking her dog out for a walk and going to a NAT station.
However, she said she still worries about catching the virus during her everyday outdoor activities, as there is “still foot traffic in the street”.
Ng said that during this week’s special curbs, she had initially planned to take her dog out for only quick walkies as she was still worried about COVID-19. She made the remark before yesterday afternoon’s press conference when the government reaffirmed that pet owners are not allowed to walk their dogs.
She added that she cleans her dog every time she returns home.
This photo taken yesterday shows a woman walking her dog near Rua de São Paulo. Photo: Ginnie Liang
