Harris County Animal Shelter offers adoption special for dogs with 'broken hearts'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- This month, you can adopt a heartworm positive dog for $5 through their Heal-a-Heart program and receive free treatments from Harris County Animal Shelter.

Heartworms may sound scary, but most dogs treated for the condition go on to live long, happy, healthy and normal lives.

Heartworms are not contagious from animal to animal, it's spread by mosquitoes. Due to our warm, moist climate, Texas has high rates of heartworm disease. For this reason, our shelters fill up with dogs with this disease, and these wonderful dogs wait and wait in shelters. Adopters tend to be less willing to take them on.

The heartworm treatment is worth $500 and the adoption fee also includes spay or neuter, vaccines, microchip and a one-year pet license.

The heartworm medication is completely funded by donations. Contributions to help a heartworm positive dog through the Heal-a-Heart program can be made to www.FriendsofCountyPets.org.

A heartworm preventative protects animals from heartworm infection. Low-cost heartworm preventative is available through Harris County Animal Shelter's Pet Wellness Clinic.