Dogs hot on the trail of covid-19 cases

Logan, incidentally, has two dogs, while Guest's dog Daisy has detected more than 550 cases of cancer as a working bio-detection canine. For her efforts, Daisy received the Blue Cross Medal in 2014, an honor bestowed each year on a pet in the UK that changes or saves lives.

During the pandemic in the UK, dog ownership has become a talking point, with inquiries about buying or finding new homes for canines rising markedly in recent months. The charity Dogs Trust said this is likely due to a desire for companionship during periods of isolation under lockdown.

Dogs Trust said inquiries about puppies rose by nearly 400 percent year-on-year in April and May, while The Kennel Club in the UK reported a 237 percent rise in use of its online puppy finder service in May compared with the same month last year.

The marketing agency Propeller-net found that in the month after a UK lockdown was announced in March, online searches for "buy a puppy" rose by 120 percent and for "adopt a puppy" by 133 percent.

The Dogs Trust branch in Leeds, northern England, reported finding new homes for 112 dogs in the first 103 days of lockdown, a figure the charity said it "would never have believed" before the outbreak.

While dog shelters and charities are encouraged by the prospect of new homes being found for so many animals, concern has been raised that some people might not be fully prepared for the responsibilities of dog ownership.

To emphasize this point during the outbreak, Dogs Trust has temporarily changed its regular slogan "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas" to" A dog is for life, not just for lockdown".

Dogs Trust chief executive Owen Sharp said in a statement, "Dog ownership can be so rewarding, but it's also a huge responsibility."

The charity has issued advice to dog walkers on ways to limit the spread of the virus when meeting outdoors and has also released an online questionnaire to help prospective owners determine if they are ready to keep a dog.