Tips for returning clothes during COVID 19

What specific steps can pet sitters take to decrease the risks associated with COVID-19?

In order to minimize risk to yourself and others, use caution when interacting with clients and when touching anything that could be contaminated.

Consider the following:

• Limit how often you touch doorknobs, countertops, pet supplies, etc. in your clients’ homes.
• Wash your hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds, and rinse for 10 seconds. Hand sanitizer can also be used, if you do not have access to soap and water.
• Avoid touching your face. If you must do so, wash your hands thoroughly first and then again after.
• Limit close personal contact with client pets. For example, avoid kissing pets on the head or allowing them to lick your face.
• When you walk dogs, maintain a distance of 6 feet (2 meters) from other people. Look for quiet, uncrowded routes, so you can minimize interactions with others.
• If you will be staying in the home while pet sitting, ensure that you put clean sheets on the bed and thoroughly sanitize the parts of the house that you will be using (especially the kitchen and bathroom). Do this at both the beginning and end of your stay.

How should pet sitters communicate with their clients during this time?

Communicate with your clients regularly during this pandemic. Having information about your clients’ health can help you avoid taking unnecessary risks.

Ask your clients to notify you if:

• anyone in the home has shown respiratory signs or fever
• anyone in the home has been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19
• anyone in the home has a high risk of occupational exposure to COVID-19 (for example, an emergency room physician)
• anyone in the home (or their close contacts) have a history of international travel (including to the US or Canada)

Keep in mind that you are not only trying to protect yourself; you are also protecting your other clients and other people you are in contact with.

If a client has respiratory signs or has been exposed to COVID-19, you should assume that they are already infected. Take appropriate measures to protect yourself and your other pet-sitting clients. Contact your local health department to determine how to proceed.