FUNNY snaps reveal how dogs have been rocking masks like their owners as sales of face coverings for pooches soar during the pandemic.
While the coronavirus crisis continues to pummel the United States, the niche doggy face mask industry appears to be flourishing across the country and further afield.
And while dogs have been pictured strutting around Shenyang in the Liaoning Province of China in their masks, American pooches are also trying them out for size as evidenced by the uptick in sales.
“Our sales have increased by about 500 percent,” said Pet Mask founder Salitia Henwick, who set up the New York City-based company.
The 27-year-old entrepreneur lives in the Big Apple with her husband and their border collie Cookie.
“It used to be people would just buy them if they stay in very polluted cities or as a novelty accessory,” Henwick said.
Down in Texas, The Good Air Team in Austin released their K9 Mask, which is an N95-caliber snout shield for pet pooches.
They looks like muzzles but actually filter smog, emissions, pollens, smoke from wildfires, dust, and bacteria, noted KTRK.
What’s good for the owner in terms of filtering out noxious toxins like smoke should be good for dogs, the company said.
A mask like this also prevents pulmonary disease and vision problems in canines.
The washable face covering has a removable four-layer air filter, which removes particles breathed in by the pups.
This is in-keeping with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s requirements for an N95 mask.
The CDC noted that “based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low.”
“More studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19,” the agency said in its pet guidance, which was updated on December 23, 2020.
“We are still learning about this virus, but it appears that it can spread from people to animals in some situations.
“People with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals, including pets, livestock, and wildlife.”
