‘LOVE OF OUR LIVES’

First Known Canine Coronavirus Case, a German Shepherd Named Buddy, Dies

“You tell people that your dog was positive, and they look at you [as if you have] ten heads,” his owner said.

A German Shepherd named Buddy has died in Staten Island, New York, after being infected with the new coronavirus, the first known fatality of its kind. Buddy began struggling to breathe in April not long after his owner contracted COVID-19 and was diagnosed as the first confirmed canine coronavirus case in the United States. He also likely had lymphoma, and he died July 11. Fewer than 25 pets in the U.S. have tested positive for the virus. Allison Mahoney, his owner, told National Geographic, “You tell people that your dog was positive, and they look at you [as if you have] ten heads. [Buddy] was the love of our lives….He brought joy to everybody. I can’t wrap my head around it.”