Don’t put masks on animals – PETA

ALBAY, Philippines – The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) asks persons with companion animals, like cats and dogs, to not put masks on them as protection against the novel coronavirus. 

“Never put face masks on animals, as they can cause breathing difficulties…experts from the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and elsewhere agree that cats and dogs are not at risk of getting COVID­-19 nor transmitting it to humans,” said PETA, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus. 

PETA also provided other life-saving tips as far as caring for companion animals and the prevention of virus transmission are concerned. 

One of them is avoiding close contact with animals if you are sick with COVID-19. 

According to PETA, “The coronavirus can be left on animals’ fur, just as it can remain on a doorknob, a handrail, another human hand, or any other surface that an infected person has touched.”

The group then advised that another member of the family should care for the companion animal in the meantime. 

Those living alone and undergoing self-quarantine will also be unable to care for their companion animals. They can call PETA Philippines’ emergency response line at 0999-888-7382 for veterinary care or food. 

Educational sources 

The group also encourages parents to take advantage of their free online educational resources, activities, and lesson plans for students of all ages, including reading comprehension exercises for kids in grades K-12 and dozens of writing prompts for middle and high school students.

PETA’s fun posters can prompt a discussion about animal-friendly idioms, while lessons on pronouns can help teach students in grades K-2 or 3-5 that animals are someone, not something. 

The “Share the World” kit, which includes an online video, helps even the youngest learners develop empathy for animals and PETA Kids offers fun activities for kids under 12, including comic books, games, and videos.

“Schools may be closed, but kids’ minds are still wide open, and they can keep right on learning how to be good citizens at home with PETA’ TeachKind,” says PETA Senior Vice President of International Campaigns Jason Baker. TeachKind is PETA’s human-education division for teachers, school administrators, and educators. 

“With these worksheets, writing prompts, videos, and games, students can stay busy and hone their reading and writing skills while learning to have compassion and empathy for others,” Baker said.

Year-round, PETA and TeachKind offer free lesson plans, classroom materials, and more to help teachers add compassion for animals to their curriculum. 

PETA also offers a free vegan starter kit to anyone in the Philippines who orders one from its website, PETAAsia.com. – Rappler.com