heartworm awareness blog ()

April is Heartworm Awareness Month

Send your love to a heartworm-positive pet at JHS by donating HERE.

April is Heartworm Awareness Month! While heartworms can be a serious illness, we believe every pet deserves the chance to live a happy and healthy life. Heartworm disease affects over 1 million dogs in the U.S. every year, and studies have shown that approximately 15% of all cats in certain areas have been exposed to heartworms whether they are an indoor or outdoor cat.

Every pet who enters JHS receives heartworm prevention and/or treatment if they are heartworm positive. Most of these pets are dogs, and the average cost of care is approximately $250 per dog, for a grand total of about $100,000 in heartworm care each year!

Heartworms are a parasite that impacts pets across the nation – they spread via mosquitoes. Just one bite puts your pet at risk! It’s important to talk to your veterinarian about heartworm prevention and, in Florida, keep your dog on a prescribed schedule year-round.

Heartworm disease is a serious condition, but there are many myths surrounding it.

Heartworm Myths

Heartworm disease is fatal if left untreated, but thanks to friends like you, JHS provides dogs the very best chance to live out their full lives in new homes.

Here’s how you can help:

Send a gift to the dogs at JHS to provide lifesaving treatment.

Heartworm Awareness Instagram Carousel
You can give using jaxhumane.org/donate or call 904.725.8766.

Heartworm disease affects dogs and cats differently. Dogs are much more likely to be infected and suffer. Last year, JHS had more than 400 HW+ dogs enter our care compared to zero cats. You can read more about cats and heartworm disease here.

Give a second chance to a heartworm-positive dog by adopting! Many of our heartworm-positive dogs, like Kasey, have sponsored adoption fees so you can save on the cost of adoption and also save a life!

JHS A
Kasey, a dog available at JHS for adoption, enjoys the sunshine with a volunteer.

Spread the word about heartworm awareness by sharing our posts on social media using #heartwormawareness. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok using @jaxhumane.

For more information about heartworm prevention, disease and treatment, please visit the Heartworm Society website.

going home eden
Eden, a dog who was treated for heartworms at JHS, was adopted by a wonderful family!

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