‘Strangers have a go at me in the park’ – owner shamed for ‘offensive’ dog name

When it comes to picking out a pet’s name, many owners spend weeks deliberating over the options.

One owner has been shamed for his decision making – after naming her dog after the virus which has claimed the lives of more than six million people worldwide.

Speaking on Reddit, the owner explained how she named her dog Covid because she rescued him during the national lockdown.

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She said, as reported by the Mirror: “We found a stray puppy during the start of our lockdown. It started by feeding him scraps in the back garden where we were spending so much of our time.

“Now he’s moved in and is probably going to stay unless someone comes forward to claim him. We put a notice up in some village shops about him.

“We called him Covid because that’s why we found him – spending all our time at home.”

Realising not everybody agrees with her choice of dog name, the woman says she was confronted by a couple during a walk.

She added: “We have now started taking him out for walks – which he loves. But yesterday a couple heard us calling his name while playing by the beach.

“They came over and told us that it’s insensitive as they lost an uncle to the virus. They said how would we feel if they called their pet cancer or death?”

Questioning the couple’s response, she is now asking whether Covid is an “offensive” name or whether the couple simply “overreacted”.

One user said: “I mean, use practically any other example and it looks really bad really fast.

“Would you name a dog AIDS and go running around in public yelling ‘Here AIDS! Come here boy, that’s a good AIDS!’

“I mean if nothing else, running around on the beach shouting “COVID! COVID!” could be construed as yelling fire in a crowded theatre – just not smart any way you slice it.”

Deeming it an inappropriate name, another user asked: “Would you name a dog Ebola, AIDS or cancer?”

A third user said: “I mean it’s a stupid name for a dog, but it’s a dog. Maybe if it were a child, then it would be pretty bad.

“Despite your story, I still have no clue why you would name a pet after a virus that has killed thousands of people.

“Just give the dog a normal name so you don’t have to worry about shouting Covid for the next 10 to 15 years or whatever”

Whereas one user, who has also named their pet after the disease, said: “We named our kitten Corona but call him RowRow.

“I do feel like a bit bad but since he was born in March we figure he’s a little brightness in all this darkness.”

According to Our World in Date, there have been about six million Covid-related deaths up to March 22 this year, with a total of 472 million recorded cases since the outbreak.

In the UK, a tragic 164,000 deaths have been recorded alongside around 20.4 million cases, as of the latest figures shared on Sunday.