The Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society is excited to announce Help for Hearts, our latest initiative to save the lives of heartworm-positive dogs.

Virginia, and the Hampton Roads area in particular, has a greater rate of heartworm disease than many other states. At GMHS, our goal is to leverage our network of shelter and rescues groups to transfer in more heartworm-positive dogs from shelters that lack the resources to treat these dogs in need.

In our care, they will receive the lifesaving treatment they need and the opportunity to make lasting heart connections through adoption.

Heartworms can be prevented simply by giving a monthly preventative prescribed by a veterinarian. However, treating heartworm disease is incredibly expensive and can cost as much as $1,000 per dog. Due to a lack of resources, some shelters may be faced with euthanizing heartworm-positive dogs or choosing to forgo testing them prior to adoption for fear of the results.

There is no shortage of heartw...