Prof. Scott Weese, Department of Pathobiology at the Ontario Veterinary College, spoke to several news outlets about the case of a dog in Hong Kong that appears to have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 through his owner.

Weese commented to the Washington Post that the Hong Kong case suggests dogs can indeed become infected with this new virus, but it remains unclear how commonly that occurs.

To CBC News, Weese added that he is heartened to hear that the dog had only a “weak positive” test result.

“The dog is clinically normal, which is good for the dog, but it also [shows] why we need to sort this out,” he said.

Weese has expressed concern in recent weeks about the possibility that the virus could establish in the domestic animal population.He has said the key to avoiding that is keeping sick people away from other animals and humans.

The director of U of G’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, Weese is also the chief of infection control at OVC, where he researches animal infections, including rabies, tick-borne disease and antimicrobial resistance.