18 Dogs. One Treatable Diagnosis.
18 Dogs. One Treatable Diagnosis.
Last year, we said yes to 18 dogs with heartworm disease.
Eighteen.
Heartworm positive dogs are often overlooked.
They are dogs who sit longer in shelters.
Dogs who are labeled “too expensive” or “too risky.”
To us, they weren’t cases to avoid. They were lives worth fighting for.
Heartworm disease carries such a heavy misconception.
When people hear heartworm, they often assume:
the dog is fragile
treatment is extreme or dangerous
or that the outcome is uncertain
The reality?
Heartworm is a serious diagnosis, but it is absolutely treatable!
With proper vet care and post-treatment rest, most dogs go on to live full, happy, and yes… NORMAL lives!
Many will never experience another heartworm-related issue again. We love that.
What isn’t treatable is what happens when dogs are left behind simply because care costs money.
The Part You Might Not See
Treating a heartworm-positive dog goes beyond just administering medicine.
Here’s what treating heartworm actually looks like:
diagnosing and testing
injections
foster homes willing to slow things down and allow for “controlled” rest
donors willing to fund care for these types of cases, that isn’t necessarily “quick”
It takes a community that believes some lives are worth extra effort.
All that to say…
Because of our INCREDIBLE community, we were able to say “yes” when it would have been easier to say “not right now.”
Not just once. EIGHTEEN TIMES!
18 Dogs Who Got Their Chance
These aren’t just names.
They are the sweetest, cutest, most deserving dogs.
They also represent:
our generous donors who gave
our incredible fosters who showed up
our knowledgable vet team that cared deeply
and a future that could have been missed!
You can now find them curled up on couches, chasing balls, receiving cuddles from their new families. They are fully loved and found families who didn’t deter because they saw the HW+ tag.
These outcomes didn’t happen despite heartworm.
They happened because we refused to let a curable disease define a dog’s story.
Considering Adopting?
Please know, if you see that HW+ (heartworm-positive) tag… nothing is wrong with these sweet babies. They are not broken. They are not less than. And with treatment, they are not permanent medical cases.
If you donated, fostered, shared a post, or cheered any of these animals on — you are part of this story.
You helped 18 dogs become proof that compassion does real, tangible work.
We hope to keep saying yes with your help!
