First Dog To Test Positive For COVID-19 Dies
Buddy, the German Shepherd, and the first U.S dog to test positive for COVID-19 has passed away.
According to National Geographic, the dog passed away July 11 in Staten Island, New York.
Buddy was symptomatic in April, he was unable to breathe, lost weight and became lethargic. He got tested for the Coronavirus in May and it came back positive. He passed away on July 11.
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“You tell people that your dog was positive, and they look at you [as if you have] 10 heads,” one of his owners, Allison Mahoney said.“[Buddy] was the love of our lives. … He brought joy to everybody. I can’t wrap my head around it.”
Medical records also showed that the dog had lymphoma, which may have contributed to his deteriorating condition.
According to National Geographic, “It’s unclear whether cancer made him more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus, or if the virus made him ill, or if it was just a case of coincidental timing.”
The family’s surviving dog, Duke, tested positive for antibodies but was never actually sick.
He was one of 25 pets in the country to test positive for the virus.
