chennai his voice is hoarse and muffled over the phone but manoj who is undergoing treatment for covid19 at tamil nadu government multi super specality hospital omandurar estate is more worried about his pet rockys futurei tested positive for coronavirus on may 10 and was hospitalised my wife who is due to deliver next week and my parents tested negative but have been asked to test again i am afraid of what will happen to my dog if everyone tests positive and have to go to hospital says the 29yearold who lives in triplicane my house owner has been asking them to throw out rocky but he is 11 years old and he wont survive on the streets he sayslike him several families who have tested positive for covid19 dont know what to do with the pets they have to leave behind with social distancing the norm and widespread fear of contracting the virus extended families and friends are reluctant to take on the animals private boarding is not an option for many as the facilities charge about rs 500 a dayanimal welfare activists say they have been receiving calls from anxious pet parents two weeks ago an animal rescuer called saying her friend had contacted her regarding a family where everyone had tested positive and didnt know what to do with their two dogs they finally sent them to a boarding says animal welfare activist jennifer jacobanother activist dinesh baba says there have been plenty of cases wherein people have abandoned their pets on thursday a woman from valasaravakkam called for help her mother had tested positive for covid19 and been taken to hospital the three other family members are home quarantined and awaiting test results and she wanted to know where she could board her pet dog if they also had to be hospitalised says babasome owners are forced to abandon their pets all of a sudden they are asked to go to hospital many dont know whom to contact for help so they just leave their pets behind says baba most people cannot afford private boarding especially as they dont know when or if they will be backanimal lovers and activists are now requesting the government to extend help it would be good if they can use the city corporations dog shelter in kannamapettai and cow sheds in madhavaram as a temporary holding facility for these animals during this crisis once the family is back home they can take their pet back otherwise the animals will be abandoned and may die says baba a few of us have been trying to reach out to the concerned authorities in vain we hope they will helpname changed