LAST UPDATED: May 29th 2020
Here at BorrowMyDoggy, one of our aims is to keep our community as safe as possible. With the ongoing coronavirus situation many of you will have questions and concerns about your dogs (whether they’re borrowed or owned) and dog sharing at this uncertain time. We just wanted to address these concerns.
Yes, you can now use BorrowMyDoggy as normal. However it is important that you follow the guidelines of your local government, and ensure that you stay safe by social distancing.
You can review your government’s guidelines here:
Please remember if you are dog borrowing you should remember to wash your hands before and after handling a dog and keep 2 metres away from other people, even when handing over the dog to the owner.
Try to keep dog leads and items as clean as possible with sanitising wipes or a hot wash; you can read further tips here. Consider using a separate lead and a face covering.
Our friends at My Family Vets have shared the following: “So far, there’s very little evidence to suggest that dogs can catch the disease. There’s also no evidence to suggest that dogs can transfer COVID-19 between humans. However, this is a new virus and a rare situation - it’s changing very quickly, so it’s very difficult for anyone to be 100% sure.”
The RSPCA’s current advice is: “Although there is no evidence that pets can spread the disease, we would advise avoiding contact with other people's pets.”
If you’re in urgent need of a dog walker please update or create a BorrowMyDoggy owner profile here. Hundreds of borrowers have let us know they’re looking to help owners in need due to coronavirus, so once you’ve created your profile you’ll be able to search for local borrowers.
Our team is also currently working hard on manually connecting owners in need. If you’re struggling to find a borrower or you’re a key worker and haven’t got time to find a match, please do contact our help team. We will do our best to find a suitable borrower in your area.
We’re so thankful for the amazing help our members give to one another on BorrowMyDoggy. If you feel you’re able to help please put a note on your profile and message members to show you’re available.
You can also let our help team know that you’d like to offer your time to a local owner, and they’ll make a note.
Yes; all government advice states that we can leave our homes for exercise, which can include dog walking.
If you’re self isolating, you should not leave the house at all and “you should ask someone outside of your household to walk your dog for you.” Please let other members know of your situation so they can make an informed decision and take appropriate precautions.
Our team is doing their very best to answer and update our FAQs as frequently as possible. If there are any questions that aren’t answered in our FAQs please do not hesitate to contact us at woofwoof@borrowmydoggy.com.
Thank you for your continued support we’re always here and happy to help if you need us. Stay safe and continue to be kind to each other.
Best woofs,
The BorrowMyDoggy Team
