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Animal charities have warned that dogs could be abused or abandoned by people who blame them for spreading coronavirus.

On Tuesday, scientists in Canada claimed that stray dogs may have transmitted coronavirus to humans in China.

The study, from a team at the University of Ottawa, argued the animals could have eaten infected bat meat before spreading Covid-19 to humans.

Experts believe the disease started at a so-called wet market in Wuhan, southern China, but they have been searching for the "intermediate host".

This is the creature which is believed to have transmitted coronavirus from bats to humans.

(Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Now the RSPCA has warned that the study could trigger a wave of animal abuse as dogs face being abandoned or even killed.

The animal charity also stressed that the study's lead author Professor Xuhua Xia doesn't prove in the paper that dogs are to blame.

Caroline Allen, Chief Veterinary Officer at the RSPCA, told Daily Star Online: "It is really important to note that this is just a theory.

(Image: REUTERS)

"There is currently no evidence that dogs were the origin of this virus and no evidence that they are playing a role in the spread of Covid-19, which is a disease transmitted between humans.

"It is vitally important that people do not abandon their pets or harm stray dogs on the basis of this theoretical paper or misleading reports, as this could have a huge impact on animal welfare.

"We would encourage people to stick to the latest government and medical advice and visit our website for more advice around pet care during the crisis."

An RSPCA spokeswoman told Daily Star Online the research "has the potential to be quite misleading so we're keen to ensure that it is balanced and clear that this study is not based on scientific evidence but on speculation and theory".

In his study, Professor Xuhua said: "Our observations have allowed the formation of a new hypothesis for the origin and initial transmission.

"The ancestor of Covid-19 and its nearest relative, a bat coronavirus, infected the intestine of dogs, most likely resulting in a rapid evolution of the virus and its jump into humans.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

"This suggests the importance of monitoring SARS-like coronaviruses in feral dogs in the fight against Covid-19."

Animal welfare groups have already warned that the pandemic could prove devastating for wildlife for a number of reasons.

Ian Redmond OBE, chairman of the Ape Alliance, said coronavirus could wipe out many great apes.

(Image: Getty Images)

The leading conservationist said that gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans share between 97-99% of their DNA with humans, making them particularly at risk of new human infections.

He also warned that the collapse of wildlife tourism as a result of the global lockdown means that many charities and centres are suffering from a lack of funding.

Brits have also been urged not to abandon their pets if they become too expensive to care for during the current financial squeeze.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The RSPCA has warned that many owners of snakes and dangerous spiders could abandon their exotic pets in parks after getting furloughed or having to cut back.

RSPCA deputy chief inspector Phil Lewis said: "We completely understand that we are currently entering some uncertain and difficult times, however, there is no excuse to abandon an animal.

"Please call us for help and advice."