A6
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2020
Pets: ‘Everything is on pause, so protect your animals’
Continued from Page A1
Dog viewings and adop-
tions occur outside now. There
has been a decrease in cat
room volunteers, but a bump
in dog walkers, shelter super-
visor Stephen Hildreth said.
Panic-buying at local gro-
cery stores means some stores
are limiting how much toilet
paper and dog food a customer
can buy at one time. The pol-
icy has had some unintended
consequences.
Hildreth shifted to buy-
ing animal food online after
Costco limited the number
of bags the shelter could pur-
chase. Costco purchases were
typically supplemented by
weekly donations of food. The
shelter often received fi ve to
six bags of food a week from
people. With coronavirus,
those donations have fallen
away, Hildreth said.
But he would rather peo-
ple hold on to their pet food if
money is tight and they need
what they have for their own
animals.
Meanwhile, drop-offs of
pets at the shelter are neither
higher nor lower than usual.
Hildreth believes Brown’s
order against residential evic-
tions is helping some people
who may have been on the
cusp of losing their housing,
or forced by costs to shift into
housing that does not allow
pets, to hold onto their animals
instead.
Hildreth hopes the order
will buy people time to come
up with other plans for pets,
whether that means fi nding the
animals a new home entirely
or temporary homes with
friends or family . The shelter is
often where people turn when
they don’t have time to come
up with a better plan, Hildreth
said.
The animal shelter is pre-
paring for a possible shut-
down if cases of coronavirus
skyrocket. Hildreth has a list
of volunteers who will foster
shelter animals in a worst-case
scenario.
F ive cases have been
reported in Clatsop County so
Washington state to keep
schools closed through
school year over virus
By RACHEL
LA CORTE
Associated Press
OLYMPIA,
Wash.
— Washington state
Gov. Jay Inslee and
state schools Superin-
tendent Chris Reyk-
dal announced Monday
that due to the coronavi-
rus outbreak schools will
remain physically closed
for the remainder of the
school year and that the
state’s more than 1.2 mil-
lion public and private
K-12 students will con-
tinue distance learning
until the end of June.
Schools have been
shut statewide since
March 17, and were
originally scheduled to
reopen April 27. Now,
that closure is extended
until midnight June 19
— when the spring term
ends — and schools
are encouraged to con-
tinue to provide distance
learning.
The order also asks
schools to start planning
far. However, limited access to
testing means the full scope of
the virus’ spread in the county
is unknown.
The l ack of testing bothers
veterinarian Dannell Davis on
several levels.
First, there is the diffi culty
of understanding the spread
of the disease in the commu-
nity. But then, with uncertainty
about where the c ounty falls
along the expected curve , it is
hard for Davis to make some
plans for her business.
Davis, who owns Asto-
ria Animal Hospital, doesn’t
expect things to return to
the way they were before
— at least not right away
for a potential expansion
of the order into the sum-
mer and fall.
Under the order, some
in-person and on-site ser-
vices like meetings with
seniors to help fi nish up
fi nal projects and tutor-
ing support is allowed
only if social distancing
and proper hygiene prac-
tices are followed.
Last
week,
Ins-
lee extended orders to
keep nonessential busi-
nesses closed and most
of the state’s residents
home through May 4,
saying that social dis-
tancing measures must
remain in place an addi-
tional month in order to
minimize the spread of
COVID-19.
Violation of the order
is a gross misdemeanor,
but the governor’s offi ce
has said the goal is educa-
tion, not to arrest people.
There have been
more than 330 COVID-
19 deaths and more than
7,900 confi rmed cases to
date in the state.
— but without the data that
comes with testing everyone,
“There’s always going to be
that lingering question of who
is positive and who is not,” she
said.
Davis is a self-described
safety nut. Her practice is
located off U.S. Highway
101-Business and she makes
her staff wear refl ective safety
vests when they go out to get
the mail.
The arrival of coronavirus
means she is taking even more
precautions — personally and
professionally — and she is
asking her customers to do
the same for their own sakes,
as well as for the safety of
their pets.
“Right now, veterinary
offi ces aren’t really open,” she
said. “Everything is on pause,
so protect your animals. …
Keep everything closer to you
that you care about.”
Until things return to nor-
mal, Davis is telling people to
take simple preventive mea-
sures: come up with a plan for
pet care in case you become
sick, keep up on fl ea treat-
ments, walk dogs on leash and
bring your cats inside at night.
After all, you can’t predict
what an off-leash dog is going
to do and it’s the time of year
when many wild animals are
starting to birth young, poten-
tially putting them in con-
fl ict with prowling cats, Davis
noted.
“Just the basic public health
of animal care, if you will,”
she said. “That’s what we need
to do.”
Conserving supplies
Under Brown’s order,
organizations like veterinary
clinics must conserve per-
sonal protective equipment
like face masks and eye pro-
tection. Exams, vaccinations
and other types of non surgi-
cal pet care are allowed to con-
tinue if they don’t require the
use of the equipment. But this
exists alongside other orders of
physical distancing from cli-
ents and, as much as possible,
among staff.
Clinics have gone to differ-
ent measures to comply and
still remain open.
Like many other local clin-
ics, Columbia Veterinary Hos-
pital in Astoria now asks peo-
ple to wait in their cars for
appointments. A staff member
comes out to retrieve pets.
It’s a workaround they may
keep in place as an option for
customers in the future, said
Kristin Zedwick, a veterinar-
ian and co-owner of Columbia
Veterinary.
“We’ve had some clients
who’ve said, ‘This curbside
thing is amazing. I don’t have
to get out of the car, my dog is
less stressed,’” Zedwick said.
The clinic’s previous owner,
Dr. Larry Goza, was a popu-
lar veterinarian and the clinic
is known to be a lower-cost
option for pet care. Before the
coronavirus, the lobby could
be a busy, crowded place —
fi ne for some animals and their
owners, hell for others.
Columbia Veterinary has
also looked at using telemed-
icine, essentially a Skype-
style appointment. Every case
is different, but a veterinar-
ian can usually see enough to
tell someone if they need to
bring their pet in immediately
or something less serious is
going on.
Emergencies and medi-
cal needs aside, veterinarians
noted that pets are important
companions during diffi cult
times.
“For me, I can’t imagine
life without having animals
around me,” Davis said.
While it may be stress-
ful to not have easy access to
a veterinarian for more mun-
dane questions, Davis said
this could be an opportunity to
spend time working with your
animals, training your dog —
or even your cat.
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SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH Sponsored by Columbia Memorial Hospital
Coping with COVID-19: Care for your mental health
T
his is a strange and difficult time for everyone’s mental
health, to say the least. The uncertainty brought by the
coronavirus pandemic can trigger anxiety, the isolation of
social distancing can trigger depression, and the focus on
washing hands can lead to compulsive behaviors.
In a situation like this, we need to be kind to ourselves
and others by taking stock of our emotions and caring for
our mental health.
ALLISON WHISENHUNT, LCSW
Manager of Care Management
Columbia Memorial Hospital
Coping with uncertainty
One danger of uncertainty is that it leads us to create
stories and fill in the blanks. We do this all the time in nor-
mal circumstances, so it makes sense that we would fall back
on this behavior in this time of stress. The trouble is that we
often act on these stories.
For example, here and in many parts of the country,
people made up a story about running out of toilet paper.
Hoarding toilet paper became one way some people could
regain a sense of control.
If you didn’t run out to buy a case of TP, it’s easy to feel
judgment toward others who did. However, maybe toilet
paper wasn’t your item of choice and you bought extra beans,
rice, flour. Or, maybe you didn’t buy anything extra and
instead became vigilant about diet, exercise, hand-washing,
reading the news, etc.
Many of these activities are healthy—in proper doses.
However, it’s good to keep our stories in perspective with
these habits of mind:
• Recognize when you are making up a story, often with ex-
aggeration. Watch for times you are using extreme words
like “always” and “never.”
• Recognize how this story is making you feel. Are you
tense? Breathing fast?
• Fact check your story with someone you trust.
• Distract yourself with something that will prevent you
from focusing on the false story.
Focus on what you CAN control
Even in the most difficult times, you can control many
things that directly affect your physical and mental health,
including:
• What you put into your body. Healthy food and water are
the best way to support your immune system.
• How you move your body. You can walk, run, stretch, or
follow a workout video.
• Where you go and the exposure risks you create and take.
Bottom line, stay home!
• Washing your hands often and not touching your face.
You can also protect your mental health by controlling
your activities. Many people in our community have lost
their daily routines because of school closures, businesses
closing, layoffs, or being told to work from home. It’s so im-
portant right now to create your own daily schedule and stick
to it. This starts with following your usual morning routine
of waking up and getting ready for the day, including getting
dressed. After that, you may work from home or spend time
doing an enjoyable activity.
Perhaps you’d like to learn a new skill, research a topic
you’ve always been interested in, get crafty with art and mu-
sic, or try new recipes. The most important thing is to keep
your mind and body active doing things that support your
mental health.
Expressing emotion
You may be experiencing many emotions right now—
grief, relief, sadness, anxiety, anger, joy, love—and sometimes
all at once. Whatever you are feeling is okay. Allow yourself
to feel and express your emotions in healthy ways. You could
write in a journal; engage in a hobby you find therapeutic;
talk to supportive people by phone, text or video chat; or
schedule a virtual counseling session.
Limiting information overload
As with so many things, social media can be both helpful
and harmful. On one hand, it’s a way to stay in touch with
friends and family; on the other, we may feel overburdened
by the tragedy of what’s happening in the lives of acquain-
tances.
With social media, it is strongly advised you choose sites
and apps that make you happy and leave you feeling inspired.
Limit those that don’t. If you must check on friends with
social media, set a timer and sign out before you get pulled
into posts that are upsetting to you.
Be aware of how often and how long you are checking the
news. Ask yourself how it’s making you feel. If it’s anything
but good, walk away.
Science that tells us that excessive worry can weaken our
immune system. This is such a different situation from any-
thing we have experienced that our usual coping tools may
not be enough. Please find what works for you to best accept
the uncertainty and enhance your mental health which will
further protect your physical health.
Free Mental Health Resources
National Suicide
Prevention:
1-800-273-8255
The Samaritans:
1-877-870-4673
Military Helpline:
1-888-457-4838
Senior Loneliness Line:
503-200-1633
YouthLine:
Call 1-877-968-8491
Text teen2teen to 839863
Lines for Life:
Call 1-800-273-8255
Text 273TALK to 839863
Clatsop Behavioral Crisis
Line:
503-325-5724
Crisis Chat:
contact-usa.org/chat.html
Crisis Text Line:
crisistextline.org
IMAlive:
imalive.org
Veteran’s Crisis Line:
veteranscrisisline.net/get-
help/chat