OUR INSPIRATION
In search of a new best friend, Bark For Hearts' founder, Jordan, browsed the website of his local animal shelter. After just minutes of looking, Jordan rushed to the shelter to meet some of the dogs. What shocked him was that half of the dogs were marked with Heartworm positive. This meant that upon adoption, you would be responsible for the treatment and other veterinary costs surrounding the potentially fatal disease. As a result, Jordan was deterred away. After returning home, with much disappointment, Jordan turned to Craigslist to rescue a dog from another family. That is how Jordan met Maddie the following weekend. On Monday, Jordan took Maddie to the vet to make sure she was healthy, and at that time, Jordan learned Maddie had Heartworm disease. The previous owner did not share this with Jordan, but there he was, as a 21 year old, with an expense he could not imagine.
WHAT WE DO
Barks for Hearts is an organization devoted to raise awareness and funds for the dogs with Heartworm disease in animal shelters. Jordan realized how prevalent and deadly this disease was and knew something had to be done. Dogs with Heartworm disease spend much more time in shelters than their counterpart without the disease. The hope and dream for this charity is to help get these dogs treated so that they can have a faster turn around time for being in the shelter and get them into a loving and caring home. Barks for Hearts wishes to create the best living environments for the dogs in shelters while also providing treatment to those affected by Heartworm disease. The charity had an application for iPhone developed that allows users to donate money without spending a dollar from their wallet. There is a feature to watch an advertisement and the money made will be put towards the charity. The application will also allow you to meet Maddie in Champaign, Illinois and spend time learning more about Barks for Hearts. Special thanks to Brianna Schiff for the extremely creative name for this organization.
To learn more about Heartworm disease, please visit: https://www.heartwormsociety.org