Dog owners who walk pet at higher risk of contracting COVID, study finds

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FILE - A man walks his beagle. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - A study on the risk factor of various activities to contracting coronavirus found that people who walk their dogs are 78% more likely to become infected compared to the average person.

The University of Granada researchers asked some 2,086 people about their daily habits during the pandemic lockdown. Their findings in the journal Environmental Research also show that cat owners or owners of other pets didn't appear to be more at risk.

“These results point to living with dogs as a strong risk factor for COVID-19 infection,” according to researchers.

The report acknowledges that more research is needed to determine whether dogs play a direct role in the spread of the virus.

RELATED: Buddy, the first dog in U.S. with coronavirus, dies on Staten Island

In July, a German Shepherd from Staten Island was the first dog in the United States to test positive for coronavirus and die.

Buddy's death highlighted the little that is known about coronavirus in pets including whether animals with underlying health issues are more likely to get sick like humans and if dog-to-human transmission is possible.

Researchers suggest that dogs could spead the virus by touching contaminated surfaces in public and bringing the virus into the home.

Veterinarians say pet owners should follow the same social distancing and personal hygiene measures that doctors recommend for humans. Spend time with your own family pets, but stay away from others. Wear a mask in public. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.