A German Shepherd name Buddy in Staten Island is the first dog to have died of COVID-19, National Geographic reported Wednesday.
His owners the Mahoneys said their much-loved Buddy liked dog stuff like running through the sprinklers, going on long car rides and swimming in the lake.
Buddy allowed his family to dress him up as a bunny for Halloween.
Buddy was diagnosed in April and died July 11.
In June, the USDA posted a statement announcing the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S., saying it was the first dog in the U.S. to test positive.
Samples from the dog were taken after it showed signs of respiratory illness. The dog is expected to make a full recovery.
One of the dog’s owners tested positive for COVID-19, and another showed symptoms consistent with the virus, prior to the dog showing signs. A second dog in the household has shown no signs of illness; however, antibodies were also identified in that dog, suggesting exposure, according to the statement.
SARS-CoV-2 infections have been reported in a small number of animals worldwide, mostly in animals that had close contact with a person who was sick with COVID-19.
