NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A Staten Island German shepherd that was the first dog in the United States to test positive for the coronavirus died this month.
Buddy died on July 11—a little less than three months after he began showing symptoms in mid-April, according to National Geographic.
The 7-year-old dog fell ill after his owner caught the coronavirus but wasn’t officially diagnosed with COVID-19 until he took a test in mid-May.
According to National Geographic, Buddy had lymphoma in addition to coronavirus and, “It’s unclear whether cancer made him more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus, or if the virus made him ill, or if it was just a case of coincidental timing.”
In early June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted a report confirming that Buddy was the first dog in the U.S. to test positive for coronavirus.
“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,” the report said. “A second dog in the household has shown no signs of illness; however, antibodies were also identified in that dog, suggesting exposure.”