New York Dog With COVID-19 Dies

A New York pet, the first dog in the nation to test positive for coronavirus, has died.

In early June, the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories announced the first confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, in a pet dog from New York.

Samples from the then 6-year-old German shepherd named Buddy were taken after it showed signs of respiratory illness, officials say. One of the dog’s owners tested positive for COVID-19 and another showed symptoms consistent with the virus, prior to the dog showing signs.

His family said Buddy started having difficulty breathing in mid-April and tested positive for the repository illness six weeks later. His family said it was very hard to find a veterinarian that would give the dog a COVID-19 test. Buddy's condition rapidly worsened as the family searched for a veterinarian, his family noted.

On July 11, his owner found him throwing up blood in the kitchen. Buddy died later that day, his family told National Geographic in an exclusive interview.

“It looked like it was his insides coming out. He had it all over. It was coming from his nose and mouth. We knew there was nothing that could be done for him from there. What are you going to do for a dog with this? But he had the will to live. He didn’t want to go," Allison Mahoney told National Geographic.

On the day of his death, after bloodwork was done, the family learned Buddy likely had lymphoma.