Refusing to Let Heartworm Win

Allegra was rescued from a certain death, pulled from the back of a dog catcher's truck in Guanica, Puerto Rico. We suspect the dog catcher beat and abused the dogs, which would explain the wound poor Allegra has on her head, along with her other injuries.

Life as a stray in Puerto Rico is filled with cruelty and ignorance. People are abusive, without compassion. Dogs are frequently hit by cars and left to suffer on their own, without anyone to care for them. They are run off and poisoned. Abandoned. The few rescues that do exist are overflowing with so much more need than resources. Stray dogs in Puerto Rico are on their own if they want to survive.

Despite the odds, Allegra has survived. She was rescued from the back of that truck, and now she has made it all the way to Virginia. 

Sadly, after all she has overcome, we have just learned she is heartworm positive. Heartworm is a debilitating and deadly disease. It results in lung disease and heart failure, and causes irrevocable damage to other organs. 

Allegra is a survivor who refuses to let heartworm win. But she needs your help to put up a fight.