Helping heart worm positive dogs

- now, you can show your love for- shelter animals by- helping them get adopted.

- news 25's kristen anzuini tells- us how.

- - meet hansel, he's a 7 year old- labrador retriever mix.

- hansel has been at the humane - society of south mississippi- since - october, he's one of their- longest residents.- - - - he is also heartworm positive.- katie king / humane society of- south mississippi.- " they typically stay at the- shelter around 4 months longer- than a heartworm negative - dog."

- mississippi has one of the- - - - highest rates of heartworm- positive dogs in the country du- to our warm climent.- "heartworms are transferred - through mosquitoes which we all- know we have a lot- of those in south mississippi,- and if you don't have your pets- on heartworm- prevention then it just takes - one bite and they can become- heartworm positive."- standup - "at the humane society of south- mississippi, 35 percent of the- - - - dogs that come into the shelter- are heartworm positive, right - now the shelter currently has 8- heartworm positive dogs."

- - - - katie king- "so on any given day it can cos- us around 30 thousand dollars i- we were to treat each heartworm- positive dog in the shelter, so- it is very costly."

You can hel- these animals...february at the- humane society is dedicated to- the shelters heartworm positive- dogs, with their "have a heart" promotion.- "you can come in and donate 20- dollars and add a bulb to our - lights of love strand or- you can donate 5 dollars to our- our wall of love, it's all abou- spreading the love in - february and getting these- heartworm positive dogs - sponsorship - treatments so they will be more- likely to be adopted sooner,- - - - rather than later."

Donations - through the "have a heart fund" are used- exclusively for the treatment o- sponsorship of heartworm- positive dogs in the shelter.

- in gulfport, kristen anzuini, - news 25.-