シェルターメディスンと新型コロナウイルス感染症

抄録

Shelter medicine is an emerging veterinary medicine which involves animal shelters. It is originally defined as herd medicine for companion animals. The goal of shelter medicine is to not only improve animal welfare for homeless animals in the community, but also to improve public health through safe and secure adoption of animals from animal shelters, to reduce the number of homeless animals in the community, and to protect human-animal bonds. The reasons animals enter shelters include owner relinquishments, overpopulation, and animal abuse cases. These cases, such as animal hoardings by breeders and caregivers, are increasing in number and becoming problematic. Natural disasters such as floods and typhoons also create situations in which shelters are necessary for affected animals. Management of animals during disasters is important not only to save animals, but also to save human lives.

The recent pandemic of COVID-19 is affecting humans as well as animals. Pets that are owned by COVID-19 positive patients have to be safely managed, and shelter medicine plays a key role in such care. Shelter medicine can be effectively employed in providing appropriate information on handling COVID-19 exposed pets and ensuring a safe environment for both animals and personnel. Shelter medicine is a comprehensive veterinary medicine that deals with many aspects of animal problems in the community. The needs of this new discipline are expanding and should be established in Japan for animal welfare and public health. Shelter medicine is an emerging veterinary medicine which involves animal shelters. It is originally defined as herd medicine for companion animals. The goal of shelter medicine is to not only improve animal welfare for homeless animals in the community, but also to improve public health through safe and secure adoption of animals from animal shelters, to reduce the number of homeless animals in the community, and to protect human-animal bonds. The reasons animals enter shelters include owner relinquishments, overpopulation, and animal abuse cases. These cases, such as animal hoardings by breeders and caregivers, are increasing in number and becoming problematic. Natural disasters such as floods and typhoons also create situations in which shelters are necessary for affected animals. Management of animals during disasters is important not only to save animals, but also to save human lives.

The recent pandemic of COVID-19 is affecting humans as well as animals. Pets that are owned by COVID-19 positive patients have to be safely managed, and shelter medicine plays a key role in such care. Shelter medicine can be effectively employed in providing appropriate information on handling COVID-19 exposed pets and ensuring a safe environment for both animals and personnel. Shelter medicine is a comprehensive veterinary medicine that deals with many aspects of animal problems in the community. The needs of this new discipline are expanding and should be established in Japan for animal welfare and public health.