Update:  November 16, 2020

It appears that the State of Emergency Orders related to animal and pet care are unchanged from March.  

Originally posted on November 12, 2020

Please excuse us if this email delves slightly into the political.  As a business, we try our best to remain neutral and focus on doing what we do best.  It seems politics are unavoidable at this time, as we are seeking direction and clarification from our government with regards to the latest code red pandemic response mandates.

Covid Confusion in Manitoba

Unfortunately Manitoba's second wave of Covid-19 has been among the worst in Canada, and per capita we currently have the most cases.  As a result, Manitoba has gone into a Code Red pandemic response.  

As pet care providers, we are considered essential when providing care for pets.  This means we should only be visiting the homes of clients who are themselves considered essential workers and must go to work, or for any reason cannot provide care for their pets and need us to do so.  Otherwise our staff should not be attending client homes or interacting with others outside of their own households per the code red mandate.  

If you are unsure as to whether you fall under these categories, please rest assured…  neither do we!  

Unfortunately direction and specific information has not yet been made available from the Manitoba government, despite the fact that the code red comes into effect for the entire province as of tomorrow.  

Essential Services ... ? 

 

According to the initial State of Emergency, issued 7 months ago in March 2020, our business may fall under one of essential services that:

"73. A business that provides for the health and well-being of animals, including farms, boarding kennels, stables, animal shelters, zoos, aquariums, research facilities and other service providers."  

However, the SOE was last updated October 13, 2020.  When we visited the Manitoba Government website the latest bulletin was posted November 9, 2020.  We don't yet know if changes will be made to the SOE Order tomorrow (November 12, 2020) when the expanded code red comes into effect, and we don't quite know what the government's definition of "well being" covers.

For Pawsitive Pet Care, an animal's well-being includes proper socialization and exercise, as well as the basic necessities such as food and water.  Our government has thus far not provided any information beyond what is listed above, so we will have to use our best judgement until we receive clarification, putting the health and well-being of our staff, clients, and their pets as our first priorities.  

Our best understanding at this time is the following: 

• If a client is able to work from home, then we are not considered essential if someone in the household is able to provide the necessary care for your pet(s).  

• If a client has a disability or injury that prevents them from being able to provide this care, or if a client is an essential service worker and must continue to work, then we are able to continue providing care. 

As such, our current services available are: 

• Dog walking and pet care visits only for essential service workers or clients physically unable to provide these necessities for their pet(s) at this time.

• Boarding or pet sitting for essential service workers only, and only if the client is away from home for an extended period to perform work related to those essential services.

• Doggy daycare will not be available during Code Red.

• Training services will be by virtual consult only.  

Thank you for your support and patience as we work hard to balance consideration for the health and well-being of our staff, clients, and their pets.  We also must follow the provincial mandates to the best of our ability, and be responsible citizens and community members, as well as working hard to provide exceptional and safe services for our clients who need us.

Please visit our website or contact us for more information.  

Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

About Pawsitive Pet Care

Pawsitive Pet Care is a Professional Pet Care business that has been serving Manitoba since 2010.  

Pet Sitting Health and Safety

Pawsitive Pet Care Pet Sitting Health & Safety Policies

At Pawsitive Pet Care we take the health and safety of the pets, our clients, and our staff very seriously.  

As we resume services following the Covid-19 closures, we will be taking the following precautions for live-in pet sits, and many of the below precautions will also apply to drop-in pet sitting as well: 

• Our staff will perform the Self-Assessment Screening prior to travelling to any client's home. 
• Staff will not enter a home wherein a person has Covid-19 symptoms or has been diagnosed with Coronavirus.
• Our staff will wash hands before and after visiting any client's homes. 
• During their last pet-sitting visit, our staff will sanitize frequently-touched surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, light switches, and handrails and will wash any dishes they have used.
• Staff will bring their own water-bottle and other personal-use items from home to avoid using client items as much as possible.  

We ask our clients to please provide the following: 

• We ask that clients cancel services if they have Covid-19 symptoms or are concerned that they may have Coronavirus.
• Please ensure there is plenty of soap at each sink in the household for hand-washing. 
• Please ensure there are cleaning supplies available for staff to use as needed.
• Please provide clean linen (bedding, towels, hand towels, etc.), or ask our staff to bring their own if you prefer.
• Please sanitize frequently-touched surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, light switches, and handrails.  We will have our staff do the same prior to leaving your home.  

Non-Medical Masks

Please notify our staff well in advance if you wish us to wear a mask when entering your home so that we ensure we have adequate PPE supplies.

Because we normally work alone, we do not require our staff to wear masks, but will accommodate for those who request it, pending mask availability.  We will also meet with clients outdoors whenever possible.  

Please contact us with any questions or concerns about our health and safety policies, or any questions about our services.

Click here to learn more about our Live-in Pet Sitting Services.

Please contact Jillian with any questions or concerns.  

Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone safe as we resume services.  

Pawsitive Pet Care turns TEN YEARS OLD on June 18, 2020!

Visit our website to learn about our 10th Anniversary Specials

Slowly Returning to our New "Normal"

Slowly Returning to our New "Normal"

Returning to work soon and needing professional pet care? We can help!  

*We have ONLY been providing services to essential workers for the month of April and have always maintained social distancing protocols.

*We continue to wash our hands before and after every visit, as always, per our disease prevention policy.

*We are only returning to dog walking and pet sitting on a gradual basis for people whose workplaces are beginning to re-open.

*Our staff work independently and only visit family pets, so it is very easy for us to maintain social distancing and minimize any risk.

*Our first priority is the health and safety of our clients, their pets, our staff, and our community.

Please visit our website for Covid-19 related service updates.

Pawsitive Pet Care has been serving Manitoba since 2010, we will be celebrating 10 years of caring for pets on June 18, 2020!

Celebrating Our Tenth Anniversary! 

Pawsitive Pet Care was founded June 18, 2010,  originally named Sturgeon Park Dog Care, a dog walking service in Crestview and St. James Winnipeg.  

We quickly grew into a full-time operation, and when Jillian went on maternity leave in 2012, we began hiring staff to continue providing excellent care to our clientele.  

When Jillian returned from mat leave in Fall 2013, we expanded our service area and our service offerings, outgrowing our name to become Pawsitive Pet Care.

In March 2017 we moved out to our current rural location, in the R.M. of Cartier, and expanded our service area and staff team even further.  

We've been so lucky and are so grateful to have such amazing clients, and to meet amazing pets, thank you all for your ongoing support and for allowing us to do what we love.

 Visit us on Facebook

Pawsitive Pet Care COVID-19 Updates

Pawsitive Pet Care COVID-19 Updates

Updates will be posted regularly on our website and on our Facebook page.  

April 29, 2020

On Monday, May 4 Manitoba will begin Phase One of restoring non-essential services to our province.  Details on this plan can be found on the Manitoba.ca website.  


If you will be returning to work and would like to resume pet care services, please contact us through our Facebook page at or email Jillian.

Please note that while schools are closed, Jillian will still need to be home with her son, but our caring and qualified staff team will be available for pet sitting and dog walking services and Jillian will be available by email and for virtual consultations by appointment.

As always, we will continue to observe social distancing requirements and will wash hands before and after every visit, per our disease prevention policy.  

We cannot wait to return to some semblance of normal and see our furry friends again, we've missed them so much! 

Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

Please refer to manitoba.ca/covid19/updates/index.html for all the latest information directly from the Province of Manitoba.  

April 17, 2020

Updated Orders have been posted on the Government of Manitoba's State of Emergency web page. 

With regards to essential services, the section impacting Pet Care has remained unchanged.  We can continue to provide pet care services to essential workers, or to those for whom we are an essential service.  This includes anyone listed under the updated order 67(3) of the Public Health Act and our clients who cannot care for their pets due to disability or injury.  

April 13, 2020

Manitoba has extended public health orders shutting down non-essential businesses and limiting public gatherings for an additional two weeks, to be re-evaluated on April 28, 2020.  

To read the Order from Manitoba's Public Health officer, please visit  www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/proactive/2019_2020/orders-soe-03302020.pdf

To comply with this order, and to keep our community, our clients, and our staff safe, we will only be providing pet care services to essential workers, or to those for whom we are an essential service.  This includes anyone listed under order 67(3) of the Public Health Act and our clients who cannot care for their pets due to disability or injury.  

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Jillian.  Please be advised that, due to school closures, Jillian is currently homeschooling her child and may not be readily available by email or phone.  We thank you for your understanding and patience during this challenging time . 

If you do not currently require pet care services, but are interested in our video consultations, please visit www.pawsitivepooch.ca/video-consultations.html to learn more. 

April 9, 2020

According to a CBC News Summary of today's press conference, both individuals and businesses can be fined for not following the social distancing mandate.  

To read the full bulletin from the Province of Manitoba, visit news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=47465

If you do not currently require pet care services, but are interested in our video consultations, please visit http://www.pawsitivepooch.ca/video-consultations.html to learn more. 

April 1, 2020

As of April 1, 2020, the province of Manitoba has restricted operation of non-critical businesses, per order 67 of the Public Health Act.  Under that order, businesses that provide for the health and well-being of animals, including boarding kennels and other service providers, are permitted to operate.  For more information on the State of Emergency and pursuant legislation, please visit the MB Government's website at https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/soe.html.   

That being said, our first priority is the health and safety of everyone in our community.  This includes our clients, their pets, our staff, and their families.  Our staff have the right to choose to remain at home during this challenging time and have been given the option to take a leave of absence until the state of emergency is lifted and social distancing is no longer mandated. 

Pawsitive Pet Care staff who are continuing to work will only be visiting those clients to whom we are, indeed, an essential service.  This includes clients who are unable to care for their own pets due to disability or injury, and clients who require pet care services because they themselves are essential service workers and must continue to work in order to serve, provide for, and care for our community.   As always, we will continue taking every possible precaution, including sanitizing hands before and after every visit.

To those front-line workers:  We thank you for your efforts during this difficult time and we will do whatever we can to assist.  Thank you for all your are doing and have done.  

To our staff:  Thank you for caring for the pets of our front-line workers, we will do whatever way we can contribute to the fight against Covid-19, and however we can provide peace of mind to our front-line workers.  

To our clients:  Thank you for your words of support and for your kindness.  We very much look forward to seeing our furry friends again as soon as possible.  We miss them, we miss our daily routines, and we value your business.  Most of all, we value the relationships we have developed over the past 10 years, with our clients and especially with the loveable animals we see every day.  

To our larger community:  This will pass.  It is a challenging time, but please continue to practice social distancing, follow the advice of our medical experts, and take care of yourselves and each other.  We look forward to seeing you when we are out and about walking dogs and visiting pets.  Be well.

Sincerely,

Jillian and the Pawsitive Pet Care Team

As we know, this is an ever-changing and evolving situation.  Please check back often for updates.  We will be monitoring manitoba.ca/covid19/updates/index.html for daily information and will post any changes on our website and Facebook page.  

**Don’t forget to visit www.pawsitivepooch.ca/you-can-help.html to find out how YOU can help! 

Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

YOU CAN HELP (Covid-19 in Manitoba)

Please take care, stay safe, and STAY HOME to help Flatten The Curve.

Please practice social distancing so that small businesses like ours can get back up and running as quickly as possible.  During this time many businesses, like ours, are essentially shut down.  The longer we need to practice social distancing, the greater the harm to our economy.  This is especially true for small businesses and their employees who rely on the jobs they create.

Thank you for doing your part.  Be well.

From your friends & pet-caregivers at Pawsitive Pet Care

In the mean time, we are offering a special on video consultations for as long as social distancing requirements are in place.  

We want to get back to doing what we love and what we do best!

Can you Help?  (Covid-19 in Manitoba)

Image from the MB Health Website

I was listening to the latest Covid-19 press conference update and Minister Friesen provided a list of products and services needed in our province to help in the fight against the novel Coronavirus.  

To my surprise, one of the services needed is pet care, so of course we signed up immediately!  Perhaps front line workers will need people to care for their pets while they are caring for our humans. 

If you go to https://forms.gov.mb.ca/GoMCovid19 you can see a list of products followed by a list of services currently needed in Manitoba.  If you, or anyone you know, can help with anything on this list, please encourage them to go to this link and fill in the relevant information.  

If we can all help in our own way, we can come together as a community to flatten the curve and do our part.  

Please STAY HOME and help to Flatten The Curve.
Take care and be well.

Jillian Enright, CPDT-KA 

Facebook.com/PawsPetMB