Mumbai: Fear is rife of contracting the COVID-19 infection. Families with pets have the added anxiety of how to take care of their furry family members if anyone in the family gets infected. Bryan Gomes, who runs a boarding centre for dogs at his Kandivali home, welcomes pets of those infected with the virus.
Since the pandemic, he has looked after dogs of at least five such families while they were battling the virus. The problem families face if even one person in the family is tests positive, is the inability to take their dog out for regular walks. It could be home quarantine requirements; the floor being sealed as per the SOP or simply fearful neighbours averse to family members of Covid patients being out with their pets.
The 38-year-old has two daughters, one five and the other six-years-old, both animal lovers like him. His mother, a senior citizen, also lives with him. Asked if he fears the animals could bring the infection to his family, he says, “We think animals only bring love with them, they don’t bring infection.”
While there are other boarding centres in the city that accept pets of COVID-infected families, he keeps the animals in a homely environment that pets are familiar with.
Gomes uses a part of the money he charges for his boarding services towards fostering motherless puppies and tries to find them homes once they are fit for adoption. He is currently fostering three 20-day-old puppies, whose mother died at childbirth. In the last year, he has managed to find homes for 20 puppies whom he gave a chance at life.
