A pet dog dressed in vehicle-style costume participates in a pet dog competition in San Francisco, the United States, on Sept. 14, 2019. The competition was held on Saturday, during which pet dogs showcased vehicle-style costumes and competed in a race. (Photo: Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region authorities said the world's first pet dog that was weak positive for coronavirus died on Monday, and its owner refused consent for an autopsy to verify the dog's cause of death. 

Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it returned the dog to its owner on Saturday, after the dog's nasal cavity sample tested negative for coronavirus on March 12 and 13. 

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region authorities said that the dog had small numbers of coronavirus detected in its oral and nasal cavity samples at the end of February and in early March.

The dog did not show any symptoms and had been isolated at an animal holding facility near the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port.

Hong Kong authorities strongly recommend that mammalian pets of coronavirus patients and their close contacts should be quarantined and undergo a checkup with the health authority.

The authority also stressed that there was no evidence suggesting pets could spread coronavirus or get ill from it, and reminded owners not to abandon their pets.

Global Times