COVID19: Services, Resources, and Policies
To put it mildly, this does in fact stink.
To best support you and your dogs during the evolving COVID-19 situation, we are rolling out some proactive policy changes, services, and resources that we will continue to adapt and update to keep pace with community safety. Read on to see what's changing and watch this space for updates …
Why?
COVID-19 has been classified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and its impacts are being felt in communities across the world including here in the United States. Though we had what felt like a brief respite following the initial vaccination rollout, communities are now contending with the far more transmissible Delta variant which may also cause more severe illness. Best practice recommendations for individuals include getting fully vaccinated and wearing a mask.
It's important to us to be good citizens, supportive community members, and to engage in harm reduction. We want to keep you, ourselves, and the vulnerable members of our households safe and do our part to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed. We also know from experience that being proactive rather than reactive allows for the most effective approach with the least negative cost.
What?
We will be adapting our services and practices to keep pace with preserving public safety. Although government guidelines have been inconsistent at the federal, state, and local levels, we will adapt to changing conditions here in Austin by using the data we have available in conjunction with guidance from health experts, taking into account what we know about how the virus spreads and all that we are still learning.
As of 4.14.2021, our team is fully vaccinated and we have resumed most of our regular services with safety guidelines in place as appropriate to the current situation. We are also keeping remote service options in place permanently and they are available to any clients who wish to use them. Because of the current surge in Austin and the surrounding Central Texas area due to the spread of the Delta variant, we are bringing back a few more stringent safety measures. See below for current policies taking effect as of 8.7.2021:
Current COVID Safety Policies
Please note that remote services conducted over Zoom are available to everyone. Initial Private Sessions are conversation heavy and when community spread is high, remote sessions may be preferable for your initial appointment even when follow-up visits are conducted in-person.
Our team is fully vaccinated and prefer that when possible, clients are too. If you are unvaccinated, we request that you please choose remote only services at this time.
If you are experiencing symptoms or have experienced a suspected or confirmed exposure in the last 14 days, please reschedule your appointment or switch to remote services.
Masks will be mandatory for all clients, regardless of vaccination status, for the initial humans only discussion portion of the session which will take place outdoors. Vaccinated individuals may remove masks for the outdoor hands on portion of the appointment that includes the dog at trainer discretion. Please note that some of our trainers live with immunocompromised family members and may require that you remain masked for the duration of the session regardless of vaccination status.
Any unvaccinated individuals attending in-person services must wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose for the duration of the appointment, no exceptions.
Services will take place primarily outdoors. However, if you are also vaccinated and willing to remain masked, we will accommodate limited indoor time when needed at trainer discretion.
Please note that your trainer will wear a mask for the initial humans only portion of the session and may choose to wear or remove their mask for the outdoor direct dog interaction portion of the session at their discretion. If you are uncomfortable with your trainer being maskless for the outdoor direct dog interactions, please let us know and we are happy to keep our masks on for the duration of the session.
We will still accommodate and may request at least 6 feet of distance throughout the appointment depending on individual circumstances and the situation on the ground.
There are no exceptions to this protocol. If you are unable or unwilling to follow this protocol, please do not book in person services with us. If we arrive for an appointment and you are unwilling to follow the protocol, your appointment will be cancelled without refund.
Please note that if the situation on the ground changes due to new information about the Delta variant, the arrival of a more dangerous variant, or any other factors that increase risk, we may pull back to remote only services or more stringent safety guidelines. And if the situation improves due to decreasing community spread, vaccine developments such as boosters, or a less dangerous variant, we may relax safety guidelines.
How Can You Help?
This has been and continues to be a tough time for small businesses, vulnerable populations, healthcare professionals, and many others. We will reserve our advice for our little corner of the world and what we expect to be most helpful.
Support Small Businesses Like Ours
First and foremost, take advantage of the new services businesses are rolling out as we adapt to the evolving situation and be respectful in adhering to safety guidelines. If and only if (we know many of our colleagues and so many across other industries are also taking a heavy financial hit) you have the financial means, consider paying it forward and covering the cost of a service for someone in need or buying a session for a shelter/rescue pup. You can also write positive reviews on social media, make recommendations on places like NextDoor, interact with social media posts, and help spread the word! And if you do need to cancel a session, do your best to give ample notice so your provider has time to refill that spot.
Support Your Community's Vulnerable Homeless Pet Population
This is obviously true year round but animal shelters, particularly open intake animal shelters, have been hit particularly hard by the impacts of COVID-19. Our city shelter, Austin Animal Center, spent months operating at restricted capacity and staffing levels which means staff and volunteers have been stretched thin to provide ongoing care and move animals out of the shelter through adapted protocols. Please consider bringing home a foster animal if you are able in order to help bring the shelter population down and preserve quality of life for homeless companion animals and safety for the humans who care for them. Maybe you're working remotely now anyway - fostering lets you support our community from the comfort of home! You can also donate to Friends of Austin Animal Center who are providing supplies, training, and beyond to foster animals and their caretakers. (PS. Wonderful, amazing Dog Possible clients - some of you cannot foster due to the needs of the animals in your homes and that is 100% okay!)
Keep Your Own Dogs (and those fosters!) Happy & Enriched
Again, this is true all the time. But in the current moment, we feel lucky to have companion animals at home for comfort and mutual enrichment as social opportunities contract. You can still walk your dog! You can spend time outdoors at a safe distance from others (ask our #teamleashgremlin pups how!). And you sure as heck can engage in enrichment activities. Now is the time to delve into ideas and have some fun with your dog:
It's also a bit of a wacky time for our dogs so we've got you covered with Preventing Behavior Issues During a Pandemic
Resources
General COVID-19 Info
COVID-19 and Companion Animals
COVID-19 Guidance for Pet Care Professionals: Dog Trainers, Pet Sitters, Veterinarians
Local Austin Resources
Local Pet Stores Tomlinson's and Healthy Pet Deliver <3
