Help Joe fight heartworm

If you have a pet on the Coast chances are you have met Jessica. She has been caring for people’s pet’s like they are her own for many years. If you have been to Best Friends Pet Market you will have met her dog Joe. The big handsome pup with the funny ears who loves everything and everyone.

Joe was a rescue from Texas and has been living with Jessica for almost a year. During this time Jessica couldn’t shake a feeling that something was not quite right with Joe and despite everyone's reassurance that he was just fine it turns out she was right. Joe recently tested positive for heartworm which explains some of the episodes Jessica was seeing. Unfortunately he was not properly treated through the rescue organization in Texas and despite them stating he was “heartworm free” his most recent test came back positive. Jessica did have him tested months ago however due to the lifecycle of the heartworm it takes a while to release the antigen. Joes has also undergone dental surgery at a specialist and multiple ear treatments due to complications of his ears being horrifically cropped back in Texas.

Heartworm treatment is not easy. Joe will require strict exercise and excitement restriction which is why you won't be seeing him at Best Friends Pet Market for a while. It involves medications that don’t always make him feel great and a series of three injections to kill the existing worms. The entire treatment should take 4-5 months. These injections are painful and require hospitalization for monitoring. The treatment and medication bills are going to be extensive and the rescue has not responded to Jessica's update on Joe so they will likely not offer any assistance. Luckily it is NOT a contagious parasite in our area so you do not have to worry about your own pets.

If you are able to donate to help with his treatment costs any little bit will help! Thank you for taking the time to read Joe’s story. We are confident he will be back in the store in a few months time ready for all the cookies and pets!