Greater Good Charities, with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and The Animal Rescue Site Celebrate Anniversary of Good Flights Program and Successfully Transport Nearly 500 Asymptomatic Heartworm-Positive Shelter Dogs to Adoptive Homes

Seattle, Wash., April 25, 2022 (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, celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Good Flights program, and have successfully transported more than 1,600 at-risk shelter dogs from Louisiana to new homes on the East Coast. That number includes nearly 500 asymptomatic heartworm-positive dogs as part of the Save a Heart initiative, which aims to reduce euthanasia in overcrowded animal shelters by preventing and treating heartworm disease in shelter dogs, while transporting adoptable asymptomatic heartworm-positive dogs to safety. To commemorate the one-year anniversary, an airlift of more than 45 shelter dogs will take place on April 26 from New Orleans, LA. to Morristown, NJ.

“In its first year, Save a Heart, a life-saving initiative of our Good Flights program, has saved hundreds of at-risk shelter dogs that would have otherwise most likely not survived this dangerous disease,” said Liz Baker, CEO of Greater Good Charities. “The success of Save a Heart was made possible by the generosity of Boehringer Ingelheim, the maker of HEARTGARD Plus, The Animal Rescue Site, and the Banfield Foundation.”

Boehringer Ingelheim, the maker of HEARTGARD Plus, covered medical costs and provided the necessary product to treat asymptomatic heartworm-positive shelter dogs, and The Animal Rescue Site funded various transports and provided sheltering and foster supplies. Additionally, the Banfield Foundation helped to cover the costs of veterinary care for participating shelter pets of Save a Heart.

During the inaugural year, Save a Heart air and ground transports occurred approximately four times a month. In addition to the more than 1,600 shelter dogs relocated to safety, hundreds of heartworm-positive shelter dogs that were not transported received medication in Louisiana via the Save a Heart initiative, saving even more lives.

Participating shelter partners in Louisiana include Acadiana Animal Aid, St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter, Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter, St. Martin Parish Animal Services, Cara’s House, Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center, Iberville Parish Animal Control, and Terrebonne Parish. The receiving shelter partners include St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey and the Humane Society of Broward County in Florida.

Asymptomatic heartworm-positive shelter dogs transported via Save a Heart receive initial medication, in accordance with the recommendations from the American Heartworm Society,  prior to transport. The Greater Good Charities’ Good Flights team works 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 are ideally placed into foster or adoptive homes to complete heartworm treatment and post-treatment monitoring until they test negative.

“At Boehringer Ingelheim, we believe the lives of animals and humans are connected in deep and complex ways,” 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. “We know that when animals are healthy, humans are healthier, too. We are proud to help enhance the well-being of both with Greater Good Charities, to create a healthier tomorrow for our animals, people, and communities.” Ryan-Johnson said.

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 for sending shelters, provides mentorship, furnishes pet care supplies, like crates and bowls donated by The Animal Rescue Site, and offers 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 harder-to-adopt large breed dogs. All shelter pets transported via Good Flights will be handled in compliance with the USDA’s 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.

HEARTGARD®, the Dog & Hand logo®, PYRAMID®, PRESPONSE®, and VAXXITEK®, are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. INGELVAC CIRCOFLEX®, and PRASCEND® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. NexGard® is a registered trademark of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner. ©2022 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. 

US-PET- 0333-2021-V3 ©2022 Greater Good Charities. All rights reserved.

                                                                                                                  # # #

About Greater Good Charities Greater Good Charities is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that works to help people, pets, and the planet by mobilizing in response to need and amplifying the good. Greater Good Charities, with a 100/100 rating on Charity Navigator, has provided more than $400 million in impact, including cash grants, in-kind supplies, and programmatic support, to over 5,000 charitable partners in 121 countries since 2007. To learn more about how Greater Good Charities is amplifying the good across the globe, please visit greatergood.org or follow Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.   

About Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is working on first-in-class innovation for the prediction, prevention, and treatment of diseases in animals. For veterinarians, pet owners, producers, and governments in more than 150 countries, we offer a large and innovative portfolio of products and services to improve the health and well-being of companion animals and livestock. As a global leader in the animal health industry and as part of the family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim, we take a long-term perspective. The lives of animals and humans are interconnected in deep and complex ways. We know that when animals are healthy, humans are healthier too. By using the synergies between our Animal Health and Human Pharma businesses and by delivering value through innovation, we enhance the health and well-being of both. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has deep roots in the U.S. From a start in St. Joseph, Missouri, more than 100 years ago, it has grown to encompass seven sites. The Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health portfolio contains widely used and well-respected vaccines, parasite-control products and therapeutics for pets, horses and livestock including NexGard®, Heartgard®, Pyramid®, Presponse®, VAXXITEK®, CircoFLEX®, and Prascend®. Learn more about Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA at www.bi-animalhealth.com.

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 $70 million in charitable donations to causes that help people, pets, and the planet. To learn more please visit GreaterGood.com.