Heartworm Sucks.

Heartworm is a prevalent disease. While easily preventable with monthly preventative medicine, many of the animals who come through our doors are infected. 

Fortunately, it is treatable! It takes some time, months even, but we are dedicated to treating heartworm positive dogs in our care. 

Can I Adopt A Dog That Is Heartworm Positive?

Absolutely yes! We adopt heartworm-positive dogs on a "foster-to-adopt" basis. What this means is once your adoption application is approved, you can take your intended home on as a technical "foster."

​This is so we can more easily continue the dog's treatment uninterrupted as a Sunrise Humane Society animal. Once the treatment is complete, we finalize the adoption of your dog. ​

It’s very important for these dogs to have a nice quiet place while undergoing this treatment, and the best place we can think of would be home! 

Will My Other Dog(s) Get Heartworm?

Heartworm disease is not contagious, meaning that a dog cannot catch the disease from being near an infected dog.  Heartworm disease is only spread through the bite of a mosquito.

However, your other household dogs should already be on heartworm preventative. As long as they are up-to-date on their treatments, your other dog(s) will be safe.

Can Humans Get Heartworm?

Humans can not get heartworm from their pets. Humans are not natural hosts for heartworms.
Because our immune systems are better equipped, in the rare case that a human were to be bitten by an infected mosquito, the larvae die before they become adult worms.

Our SHS Heartworm Positive Dogs

To view our current adoptable dogs with heartworm, go to our Adoptable Dogs page and Filter on the Attribute "Heartworm Positive". These furbabies are no less special than our other dogs!