A campaign to save Dillon County Animal Shelter dogs who are suffering from the dread disease of heartworms is in the works.
On Valentine’s Day, the Dillon County Animal Shelter staff, Friends Helping the Dillon Shelter, and the Humane Society of Dillon County joined forces to announce an exciting new project in which fifteen shelter dogs suffering from heartworms will now receive a series of costly injections called Fast-Kill treatment.
Without treatment, these dogs would undoubtedly be doomed to a slow, painful death. But these three groups are now seeking funding from individuals and businesses in the community who would like to help fund the project and give these dogs a second chance at a good life.
A heartworm diagnosis is almost a certain death sentence for a dog. Heartworms are transferred from animal to animal via mosquitoes, and because preventive medicine is sometimes too expensive for owners, many dogs in our area are infested with this malady.
Dogs who find themselves at the shelter have little chance of adoption because potential adopters are hesitant to take ownership of a dog with health problems. Reputable rescue organizations also find it difficult to finance treatment because of their limited budgets.
But a very lucky situation has developed for fifteen dogs at the Dillon County Animal Shelter. Last year, a new building was constructed at the rear of the present Animal Shelter. It is now equipped with new kennels, is sparkling clean, and even has side partitions which open to allow fresh air and sunshine into the facility. Animals undergoing the month-long, fast-kill heartworm treatment must undergo a mandated quiet time in semi-isolation because of the severity of the treatment. In the past this has been impossible to do at the Dillon Shelter, or any shelter. With this new building, these fifteen dogs can be isolated in peace and quietness and thereby avoid the costly vet boarding fees usually involved in this kind of treatment.
On Valentine’s Day, the Shelter staff, along with Friends Helping the Dillon Shelter, and representatives of the Humane Society of Dillon County kicked off a campaign to solicit donations for this project. The cost of each dog’s treatment is approximately $300.00. Several caring businesses and individuals have already made donations, but the project is not fully-funded. Everyone involved is hoping and praying that no dog has to be taken out of the group because of lack of financial backing.
If you would like to contribute to this project, donations can be made via PayPal to humanesocietyofdilloncounty@gmail.com or Humane Society of Dillon County, 4160 Glasdrum Drive, Little Rock, SC 29567.
Donations can also be sent via Paypal to dilloncountyanimalshelter@hotmail.com or the Dillon County Animal Shelter, Old Latta Highway, Dillon, SC 29536.