hyderabad a yellow labrador scavenges from a garbage bin near secunderabad without a collar or owner in sight similarly a german shepherd also without a name tag or collar was found tied to a pole in narayanguda government veterinary hospital earlier this week while the citys streets have become deserted since the lockdown was announced animal rescue teams say that they are witnessing an unusual increase in the number of pet dogs being abandoned on city roads due to the spread of covid19the average number of calls received by animal rescue shelter an ngo regarding such cases has increased from one to two cases per week to at least three cases per dayit is very concerning we have been receiving at least two to three calls every single day one of our recent rescues was of a lhasa terrier from attapur the dog was so scared that it used to constantly shake in fear when someone would go close to her another pomeranian that we rescued was left at a car mechanic workshop in jeedimetla said shruti darak founder of animal rescue shelter animal welfare organisations also say that the number of calls from pet owners wanting to give up pets is also on the risethere is a sudden surge in number of pet owners wanting to give up pets our facebook page on pet adoptions is a proof that people are scared they might get infected we are working on overcoming that by counselling them and disseminating correct information said aanchal khanna an animal activistdespite the world health organisation who clarifying that covid19 cannot be transmitted through dogs many are either abandoning their pets on streets or frantically calling shelter homes to give them up clearing the air about the misinformation dr jasleen kaur from allvet pet clinic said pets do not get covid19 they do not get the strain of coronavirus that can be transmitted from them to humans there is absolutely no reason to abandon your pet or send it to a shelter