Heartworm Positive Dogs Need Foster Homes

Safe Haven Dog Rescue saves dogs and puppies from high kill shelters in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. Because Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky do not have the same strict spay and neuter laws that Illinois has, these states have an overpopulation of stray and abandoned dogs.

We are committed to helping all dogs. For every healthy group of dogs we rescue, we also make sure to save dogs and puppies that need medical attention. These are the dogs that are chosen to euthanized first at the shelters simply due to the cost of medical care alone.

Heartworm Disease or HW+ (Heartworm Positive) dogs are one area that Safe Haven Dog Rescue encounters regularly. Heartworm treatment generally costs over $1000 to treat, however SHDR has a phenomenal veterinary partner that allows us to treat these dogs at a reduced cost. These dogs are typically owner surrendered or found as strays once their owners learn they have Heartworm. It’s not surprising, but because the treatment for heartworms is expensive and time-consuming, this usually means a death sentence for the shelter dog.

Once we rescue a dog we are committed to providing treatment and getting it healthy so that it can be adopted into a forever home. We have several HW+ dogs that are due to come to Illinois in the next 2 weeks, but order to save them we need foster homes that are willing to take on one of these dogs for at least 10 weeks.

During the first 30 days, the dog is placed on a daily antibiotic (doxycycline). While on this medication, there are no restrictions on the dog’s activity.

After completing the antibiotic, the dog will need to have 2 injections in their lower back 24 hours apart. You will bring the dog to our vet for the first injection and then bring the dog back the next day at the same time for the second injection. After the first injection and for the following four weeks, the dog must be kept quiet, stress free, and crated to prevent worms breaking free from the heart and blocking a blood vessel.

Heartworm treatment is challenging for our dogs and their foster family and it takes a special dedication to take this on. The 4 dogs that are scheduled to come to Illinois are young and otherwise healthy, but without this treatment they will not survive. Shelters may automatically euthanize dogs that are heart worm positive, but we would like to save as many of these wonderful animals as we can.

If you are willing to open you home and foster a Heartworm Positive Dog, please email safehavendogs@yahoo.com.

We provide all vetting, food, crate, toys, leash, collar, you provide love and a calm place for a sweet dog to heal.