BEATRICE, Neb. - Ticks are once again on the rise in Nebraska.

This can lead to added strain for dog and cat shelters in Nebraska, such as the Beatrice Humane Society.

“Ticks have been incredibly prevalent,” Carlee Fiddes, Executive Director of the Humane Society said. “We’ve struggled with ticks in Nebraska for many many years, but this is a much higher year for ticks.”

Fiddes says every animal taken in is immediate treated with flea and tick medication. As of July 12, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services had recorded 45 tick-borne cases in 2025, with 14 hospitalizations.

A rise in tick population spells trouble for strays wandering through fields and woods.

“Ticks, when they attach to the animal, they’re taking a blood meal,” Fiddes said. “This can turn a dog into an anemic state where they don’t have enough circulation red blood cells circulating their brain and the rest of their body.”

A living example of this was the case of stray pup Tennessee…. Tennessee came to the shelter with an estimated 300-400 attached ticks.

“When he first arrived he had so many ticks that had been on him so long, he was showing up in the anemic stage of his blood cells,” Fiddes said. “With that, it affects disability to think and live and animals can die from anemia.”

Through a few tough days at the shelter, Fiddes and her team worked to get Tennessee to his current healthy, energetic state with the hopes of finding him a new home. Fiddes says nor only do ticks impact dogs, though less common, it can also impact cats… Due to their smaller size, cats can be even more vulnerable to anemia.

And of course, it impacts humans too. But Fiddes says treating your pets with flea and tick meds can be protective barrier.

“While we can apply flea/tick prevention for dogs, there is no flea/tick prevention for humans,” Fiddes said. “By protecting your dog for flea and ticks, you’re actually also protecting yourself and your family.”