( CNN ) -- A nurse 's aide in Spain catches Ebola ; her dog is taken away and put to death . A nurse in Texas catches Ebola ; her dog is fed , taken away and put into quarantine . The stark difference in treatment illustrates the lack of solid protocol on what to do with Ebola victims ' pets -- and highlights what little is known about the risk . Why are we even talking about this ? Focusing on the cases of two dogs can seem trivial compared to the 4,000 people in West Africa who have died from Ebola this year . But CNN 's Anderson Cooper notes that concern about animals can have a broader impact on human health . `` We 've seen this in disasters before , people not wanting to leave their homes because they could n't bring their animals to a shelter , '' he said . `` The fear among health care workers and CDC officials and others is that if people are afraid that their dogs are going to be killed , they might not come forward if they 're starting to show some symptoms . '' So , can pets get or spread Ebola ? `` At this time , there have been no reports of dogs or cats becoming sick with Ebola or of being able to spread Ebola to people or other animals , '' the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says . Some studies have shown that dogs may experience asymptomatic Ebola infections , the CDC says -- meaning they may have the virus but do n't get sick . Also , the agency says , human infections have n't been linked to dogs . `` The risk activities that lead to human infections are direct contact with infected human body fluids , or through bats or consumption of infected wild meat . '' But it 's not yet clear whether a pet 's body , paws or fur can pick up and spread Ebola to people or other animals . Biology professor David Sanders said some animals , like fruit bats , can carry the virus without showing any symptoms and could infect others . `` The concept that viruses in animals can be transmitted to humans and can have potential harmful consequences , that 's obvious , '' said Sanders who teaches at Purdue University . `` So infected animals that are not showing signs of infection can potentially be capable of transferring virus to humans . '' Do we really need to worry about pets getting Ebola ? Not at all , said Dr. William Schaffner , chair of preventative medicine at Vanderbilt University . `` It is not a danger . We 're not concerned , '' Schaffner told CNN 's State of the Union with Candy Crowley . `` We know that this virus can circulate in animals , but pets have not been a feature of Ebola spread , whether in Africa and certainly not here in the developed world , '' he said . `` We all thought that the attention in Spain to the dog of the person who was ill was ill-advised and was a distraction . '' So why did the dog in Spain have to die ? More than 400,000 people signed an online petition asking Spanish authorities to spare the life of Excalibur , the dog of nursing aide Teresa Romero Ramos . Romero is in critical condition after helping treat an infected Spanish missionary . But Madrid health authorities insisted they had to euthanize Excalibur in case the canine had Ebola . Critics said the dog should have been quarantined , just like Romero 's husband has been . What about the nurse 's dog in Texas ? Bentley , the dog belonging to infected Texas nurse Nina Pham , is now safe with Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center and was taken Tuesday to Hensley Field , a decommissioned Naval Air base that 's now owned by the city . He 'll be monitored at the former military complex where he 's been given bedding and toys to keep him comfortable . `` Bentley is in a safe place , away from hoomes , apartments and other animals , '' the City of Dallas said .
CDC : There have been no reports of dogs getting sick with Ebola or spreading it . But some studies have shown dogs can have the disease , but not be sick from it . An Ebola patient 's dog in Atlanta is sick after a patient 's dog in Atlanta was euthanized . ` ` The problem is we have n't really studied the progress of Ebola in dogs , '' a professor says .