HUGE NEWS! Super HUGE NEWS! PETCO LOVE* Has Given LAST HOPE Inc a $20,000 Grant to Treat Heartworm Positive Dogs.

On the average, it costs Last Hope between $1200 to $1500 to treat a heartworm positive dog . With the Petco Love grant we can help and save the lives of more heartworm positive dogs- approximately 13 more.

This price includes the pre-treatment of initial x-rays and tests to determine how infested the dog is, the pre-treatment of doxy & prednisone, the 3 injections of immiticide to rid the dog of this potentially deadly, parasitic disease, foster care, follow-up tests and preventive medication.

Last Hope has always embraced heartworm positive dogs- many from Long Island shelters, and later added dogs from our Southern shelter partners.

Since heartworm is caused by infected mosquitoes, and since the mosquito season tends to be longer the further South you travel, we tend to get more heartworm positive dogs from Southern shelters in poor rural areas where owners cannot afford or don’t know about heartworm preventive drugs.

We polled our Southern shelter partners. It appears 8-10% of dogs at our Kentucky and Virginia partner shelters are heartworm positive as compared to 50-70% of dogs coming from Georgia shelter partners.

And the total dog overpopulation problem tends to be worse, the further South you go. By committing to take a heartworm positive dog, Last Hope is saving that dog’s life and making room for another discarded dog at the Southern shelter.

Our PETCO LOVE grant will support Last Hope’s decision to take & treat more heartworm positive dogs. We can do our best to make up for their dark past and offer these dogs a sunny future. Pipsqueak who just finished her heartworm treatment is announcing our good news, while BUELLA & 3-Legged BETTY are almost ready to start their treatment.

*(Note: PETCO LOVE was formerly called the PETCO FOUNDATION.)

PLEASE JOIN LAST HOPE in THANKING PETCO LOVE.