Tips for tending to our furry friends during lockdown

I don't have any pets. But through communication with our readers and my friends, I know a lot of people are worried about their pets – even more than their own food supplies, during the city's phased lockdown.

Pets are not human beings. They don't know what a lockdown is or why they can't go outside as usual. People can't make them understand the lockdown is urgent but temporary.

According to one of my friends, there is no way to train a pet, like a dog, to live a happy day without going outside.

They need to respond to the call of nature in a natural environment.

They must be walked.

Then the question is: how to get them out?

According to the latest lockdown policy, people are not allowed to go outdoors – not in their residential compound, not in underground parking lots and not even in their building's public space.

This reality creates a big headache for pet owners.

Here is one suggestion:

Contact the head of your building or a leader of the community committee to see if there's something that can be done.

Such community-level "managers" are extremely busy these days, so keep your questions clear and concise.

Ask if there are people who manage pet affairs.

If yes, good luck.

If no, ask if the committee can dispatch at least one volunteer to take your pets outside for a while.

If there are a lot of pets in your community, volunteers can easily make mistakes.

So make it easy to identify your pets.

If your community is short of volunteers and can't help, don't lose your temper. Remember, every one of us is part of the community.

You can actually offer to be a volunteer yourself.

It is conditional, of course.

You have to respect the requirements of the committee, obey the volunteer rules and meet certain criteria – for example, having at least two vaccine shots and wearing a mask. Also, a full-body protective suit is required.

My friend who has a dog and lives in Xuhui District, which begins lockdown tomorrow, bought diapers for her dog.

I don't know if that will help.

Hope it works.