Seattle, April 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In honor of Heartworm Awareness Month, Greater Good Charities, in cooperation with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, the maker of HEARTGARD® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel), and The Animal Rescue Site announced today the launch of the Good Flights program. The goal is to transport 2,000 shelter dogs from Louisiana, where they are at risk of euthanasia, to new homes on the East Coast. That number includes 1,000 asymptomatic heartworm-positive dogs. The program is part of the Greater Good Charities’ Save a Heart initiative, which aims to reduce shelter euthanasia in overcrowded shelters by preventing and treating heartworm disease in shelter dogs, while transporting adoptable asymptomatic heartworm-positive dogs to safety.
According to the American Heartworm Society, Louisiana is one of the leading states in heartworm infection rates in the United States.1 That puts heartworm-positive shelter dogs in Louisiana at a higher risk of euthanasia due to the length of care, space required and cost of treatment.
“Canine heartworm disease is a dangerous and life-threating illness for infected animals, and Save a Heart, a life-saving initiative of our newly launched Good Flights program, will be a historic game changer for these at-risk shelter dogs who are battling this disease,” said Liz Baker, CEO of Greater Good Charities. “We are extremely grateful to Boehringer Ingelheim, the maker of HEARTGARD® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel), for making it possible for us to bypass the prohibitive cost of treatment by graciously covering medical costs and providing the necessary product for these dogs in need, and to The Animal Rescue Site for helping fund the transport and providing sheltering and foster supplies. A special thank you to the Banfield Foundation for helping to cover the costs of veterinary care for participating shelter pets of Save a Heart.”
The inaugural Save a Heart mission will take place April 19-20, 2021 via three planes carrying approximately 120 at-risk shelter dogs, with 50% of the dogs being asymptomatic heartworm positive, from Louisiana (Lafayette and New Orleans) to Morristown, N.J. and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Additionally, in late April, a ground transport carrying 35 at-risk shelter dogs, with 50% of the dogs being asymptomatic heartworm positive, will depart Southeast Louisiana to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Participating shelter partners in Louisiana will include Acadiana Animal Aid, St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter, Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter, St. Martin Parish Animal Services, Cara’s House, Washington Parish Animal Shelter, and Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center. The receiving shelter partners include St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey and the Humane Society of Broward County in Florida.
This initiative will allow 1,000 asymptomatic heartworm-positive shelter dogs that are transported via Save a Heart to receive initial medication, in accordance with the American Heartworm Society's recommendations, prior to transport. The Greater Good Charities’ Good Flights team will work in concert with veterinary teams to select candidates that are positive for heartworm disease and are not showing clinical signs of the disease which qualifies them for transport. Upon arrival at their destination shelter, the heartworm-positive shelter dogs will ideally be placed into foster or adoptive homes to complete heartworm treatment and be monitored until they test negative.
“With current euthanasia rates of heartworm-positive dogs in partner Louisiana shelters, the alternative to a Save a Heart flight and treatment is life in a stressful, overstimulating shelter environment and, very often, humane euthanasia due to lack of resources,” said Julie Ryan-Johnson, DVM, Associate Director of Shelter Programs at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, which makes HEARTGARD® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel), a real beef chew that prevents heartworm disease in dogs and treats and controls hookworm and roundworm infections.
Save a Heart flights and ground transports will occur approximately 2-3 times a month for one year after the inaugural mission. Each Save a Heart trip will transport 50% asymptomatic heartworm-positive dogs, (1,000 for the year) with an additional 1,000 heartworm-negative shelter dogs, for a total of 2,000 shelter dogs over the course of the year relocated to safety. Additionally, the initiative will help nearly 2,500 heartworm-positive shelter dogs that are not transported; those dogs will receive medication in Louisiana via the Save a Heart initiative, saving even more lives.
Good Flights is staffed with trained and seasoned animal welfare transport professionals who adhere to best practices in pet transport. Good Flights covers all transport costs and provides mentorship to sending shelters as well as pet care supplies, like crates and bowls donated by The Animal Rescue Site, and cash grant support to all shelter partners.
Good Flights is a program of Greater Good Charities that conducts life-saving airlifts and ground transport for at-risk pet populations with a heavy focus on asymptomatic heartworm-positive shelter dogs as well as disaster relief, homeless cats, and bully breeds. All shelter pets transported via Good Flights will be done so in compliance with the USDA interstate regulations. Learn more at greatergood.org.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: HEARTGARD® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel) is well tolerated. All dogs should be tested for heartworm infection before starting a preventive program. Following the use of HEARTGARD Plus, digestive and neurological side effects have rarely been reported. For more information, click here for full prescribing information.
1American Heartworm Society. No State is Heartworm Free: AHS Announces Findings of 2019 Heartworm Incidence Survey. https://www.heartwormsociety.org/in-the-news/558-ahs-announces-findings-of-2019- heartworm-incidence-survey?highlight=WyJsb3Vpc2lhbmEiXQ. Accessed March 31, 2020.
HEARTGARD® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2021 Greater Good Charities. All Rights Reserved. US-PET- 0333-2021-v2
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About Greater Good Charities
Greater Good Charities is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization, with a 100/100 rating on Charity Navigator®, that works to amplify the good in the world to improve the health and well-being of people, pets, and the planet. Since 2007, Greater Good Charities has given over $300 million in cash and in-kind grants to over 5,000 charitable partners worldwide and funded projects in 121 countries. To date, Greater Good Charities has provided over $22 million in support for COVID-19 disaster-relief, including cash grants, in-kind supplies, and programmatic support. To learn more about how Greater Good Charities is amplifying the good across the globe, please visit greatergood.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.
About Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
The lives of animals and humans are interconnected in deep and complex ways. We know that when animals are healthy, humans are healthier too. Across the globe, our 9,700 employees are dedicated to delivering value through innovation, thus enhancing the well-being of both. Respect for animals, humans and the environment guides us every day. We develop solutions and provide services to protect animals from disease and pain. We support our customers in taking care of the health of their animals and protect our communities against life- and society-threatening diseases. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is the second largest animal health business in the world, with net sales of $4.7 billion (4.1 billion euros) in 2020 andpresence in more than 150 countries. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has a significant presence in the United States, with more than 3,100 employees in places that include Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey and Puerto Rico. To learn more, visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.us, www.facebook.com/BoehringerAHUS or www.twitter.com/Boehringer_AH.
About The Animal Rescue Site by GreaterGood
The Animal Rescue Site is one of a suite of charitable sites launched by GreaterGood® beginning with The Hunger Site in 1999. The family of sites empowers people to affect positive change by making ordinary online actions extraordinary. GreaterGood is a powerful fund-raising vehicle for worthy causes in the U.S. and around the world and has proudly funded more than $65 million in charitable donations to causes that help people, pets, and the planet.