Tyson's Heart - Heartworm Prevention Program
Established 2023 Heartworm is a huge issue in the city of Detroit and has reached an epidemic level, with nearly 1 in 5 dogs entering the shelter system in Detroit testing positive for Heartworm disease. For the first phase of Tyson’s Heart, we are focusing on dogs in our program that are at the highest risk of contracting heartworm disease: outdoor dogs and dogs in areas known to have a high prevalence of heartworm positive dogs. Nearly 80% of our outdoor dogs test positive for heartworm disease. For the second phase, we are testing all new clients' dogs (both indoor and outdoor) at the time of their spay/neuter surgeries. We are educating, providing prevention for those that test negative, and treatment for the dogs that are test positive. As this program grows, we aim to make testing, prevention, and treatment available to all the dogs in our program that meet our eligibility requirements. |