Puppy with Heart Murmur Finds a Home

When 16-week-old Hershey, an Australian Shepherd mix, came to the Arizona Humane Society from the Navajo Nation as part of AHS’ Project Reachout program and through Best Friends Animal Society, AHS’ medical trauma team discovered that he has a severe heart murmur. Now, this puppy with a heart murmur needs a home.

**UPDATE** Hershey has been adopted! What a great way to close out 2022. With your help sharing Hershey’s story, he found his new fur-ever dad, Andrew, in just one day!

Heart murmurs are a sound caused by the turbulence of blood flow through the heart, most often due to abnormalities of the heart valves. Pets can either be born with a heart murmur, or they can acquire them with age. Some pets with heart murmurs live normal lives and do not have any ill effects from the murmur. However, others may have their condition advance to congestive heart failure.

Because Hershey was a stray pet, the cause of his heart murmur is unknown at this time, so we are unsure how it may progress. Due to Hershey’s potential special medical needs, his adoption fee is waived, but it is recommended that his new family consult with their veterinarian and further recommendations may include regular exams to monitor the heart, chest x-rays, or even an ultrasound of the heart, as well as consultations with a cardiologist. Medications may be prescribed by the owner’s veterinarian in order to slow or manage heart disease that may be present. All follow-up care will need to be done at his adopter’s veterinarian and at the adopter’s expense.

AHS’ Project Reachout program allows AHS to take in pets from other shelters when they become overcapacity and as space on AHS’ adoption floor allows. These pets can typically be fast-tracked right to adoptions and tend to get adopted very quickly. Last year, 1,000 pets from local partner shelters as well as shelters across the state and country came into AHS, making the total number of pets AHS took in last year nearly 18,000.

Currently, Hershey’s quality of life is good, although he is a bit shy. Thankfully, Andrew fell in love with this cute little gentleman and will give him the love and care he deserves as well as take care of his potential, future medical needs.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Hershey’s adoption possible! You gave Hershey and Andrew a wonderful gift to end the year. If you missed the opportunity to make this little guy yours, we still have plenty of other pets currently on the adoption floor who are looking for their shiny New Year with a new, loving family. Click below to see all of our current adoptable pets.

Happy New Year!