The Heart of the Earth Sanctuary and Rescue, Inc

01/25/2025

As much as we would love to assist with personal pets, recent events have made it clear that we need to refocus solely on our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts. Without going into detail, the past few days have been overwhelming—filled with urgent cat shuffling, frantic outreach to rescues outside our area, the help of local animal control and a weekend spent transporting abandoned cats. Thankfully, as of tomorrow, we can put this behind us, take a much-needed breather, and regroup before diving back into our jobs on Monday.

This is an important reminder: If you have an unaltered male and female cat living together, they will reproduce. And their kittens will, too—at least the ones that survive. The cycle doesn’t stop unless you take action. Please spay and neuter your pets as soon as possible.

For those needing assistance with personal pets, here are local resources:

Local Shelter & Animal Control:
📍 Allegany County Animal Shelter: (301) 777-5930
📍 Allegany County Animal Control: (240) 362-7518

Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics:
🐾 SNIPWV: (304) 943-7460
🐾 HART for Animals: (301) 387-7729
🐾 Promise Animal League: (301) 465-9473

Thank you for understanding, and please spread the word about the importance of spaying and neutering! 🐾💙

01/19/2025

** Update** Thank you to those who shared and donated. We were able to scrape together enough to get the Kia back on the road. It will be a bit before we can open intake back up. We def will keep you all posted **

Friends, I really don't know what else to say, except that the Kia is absolutely vital to our rescue efforts. It's been sidelined for 2 weeks and we are unable to do all of the vetting that needs done, errands for the rescue, etc. Please help us get it back on the road. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/theheartoftheearth

01/19/2025

This was sent to us today. This is a photo of Smalls and Diddy being removed from the hoarder house Dec, 31 2023. Glad we were able to keep them together.

01/17/2025

A shout out to our friends at Pet Wants Mountain Maryland for the amazing AND tremendous amount of food!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Christmas food donation for The Heart of the Earth Sanctuary and Rescue, Inc! Your donations along with our match turned into over 466 pounds of food for their dogs and cats! Well done, everyone! We also offer a 33% discount for food that you wish to donate (with free delivery!) to the Sanctuary year round! Those donations are taken in store or over the phone.

01/17/2025

To the people who put them on Craigslist: I have your dogs now.

Their abusers finally have a court date!

Their names are Smalls and Diddy. We have had them for a year. They were rescued from a hoarder’s house where over 90 dogs were crammed into cages, stacked one on top of the other, living in their own filth. Some of them didn’t make it out alive. They didn't even have names.

When we traveled to pull them from the shelter, they were skinny, terrified, and broken. The smell is burnt into my nostrils forever, and I will never be able to unsee the horror I saw. When they saw me, they made sure that I saw them. And that was that. And so, we took them to our Sanctuary/Rescue.

Smalls is now healthy and thriving. Diddy, however, has congestive heart failure and a heart murmur. But he’s still so full of life and love. They’ve bonded deeply with each other and with us, and they will never know abandonment, loneliness or hunger again.

I can’t imagine why someone would give them up. Were they used for breeding? Were they discarded when they were no longer "useful"? It doesn’t matter now. They’re safe. They’re loved. And they will live out the rest of their lives in a home where they are cherished.

For the others who survived that horrible situation—they’ve also found loving homes. Every single one of them deserved better, and now, they have it.

I just wanted you to know: We have your dogs, and they’re finally home.

01/16/2025

Tomorrow is a big day for Diddy and Smalls—they have their annual check-up! Please keep them in your thoughts as we hope for good news. Diddy, as many of you know, has a grade 4 heart murmur that we’re managing with medication, and Smalls has made amazing progress from being super skinny when he first arrived. We're crossing our fingers for healthier, happy updates for these two! Donations are always welcomed and appreciated.

A quick reminder: intake remains closed for now, because unfortunately, the Kia is still sidelined. We deeply appreciate everyone who has contributed to its repairs so far—it means the world to us. We still have a bit to go, so if you're able to help, it’s greatly appreciated. Thank you for your ongoing support and love for our rescue family!

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/theheartoftheearth

01/13/2025

Minerva, Bellatrix and Nymphadora are on their way to finding forever homes outside of the area!!! Thanks to "you know who you are," who helped coordinate to make this happen! So thankful our girls will find great homes!!!

01/11/2025

Hello friends,
We've found ourselves in a bit of a pickle! The rescue vehicle I personally purchased to help our furry friends — our trusty Kia — is currently sidelined. The control arm bushing, sway bars, and ball joint on the left side have failed, leaving me unable to transport animals to and from vet appointments, deliver food to pets in need, or handle the day-to-day rescue duties that keep our sanctuary running smoothly.

We got an estimate from Auto Clinic and need $1000 to get the Kia road worthy.

We’re staying positive, and we know that with a little support, we can get back on the road and continue our mission of saving lives. If you can lend a hand by sharing this post, or any other way — we’d be incredibly grateful. Every bit of help counts!

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/theheartoftheearth

Thank you all for the love and support. Together, we’ve made a difference in so many lives, and with your continued help, we’ll keep going. ❤️

01/08/2025

Hi friends! It’s Kerry here, and I wanted to take a moment to check in and share what’s been happening behind the scenes.

First, please know we see your messages, your love, your needs and your support — and we are so grateful! We haven’t been ignoring you; life has just been a whirlwind. For the past four years, I’ve been in a battle with two autoimmune disorders (thanks, COVID), but I’m winning that fight every day. It’s been a journey of balance, learning to manage my health while keeping up with our sanctuary, my new job, and making time for myself, my family, and our beloved critters.

Right now, we’re a very small but team — me, Derek, Hayden, and the rest of the HOTE fam— and we’re giving it all we’ve got. We welcomed our first cat intake in 3-4 years in 2024, and it feels incredible to be getting back to doing what we love. That said, we’re mindful of our limitations because it’s never fair to the animals if we take in more than we can properly care for.

Each day, I’m feeling stronger and more hopeful that remission is just around the corner. Your continued love, encouragement, and support have meant the world to us. It’s what keeps us going on the hardest days.

Looking ahead, our dream is still to move to a place with more land, where we can provide an even better sanctuary for the animals who need us most. This location was never meant to be permanent, and we’re excited about what’s to come.

Thank you for standing with us through all the ups and downs. Your donations and support are always appreciated and vital to our mission.

With love and gratitude,
Kerry & the Heart of the Earth Family 🐾 💚

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/theheartoftheearth

01/06/2025

Today's celebration at the Bedford County Humane Society for the Bedford County hoarder pups from last year. Such a wonderful time meeting the other families who adopted these amazing dogs! 🐶❤️

01/05/2025

Today was the 1 year reunion for the animals from the Bedford County Hoarding case at the Bedford County Humane Society. Diddy and Smalls reunited with many of the surviving dogs. There will be more photos coming!

01/02/2025

Diddy and Smalls have their annual check up on Jan. 17th. I'm cautiously excited to find out how Diddy's heart is doing on his meds, and how much weight Smalls has gained. They both had to have many teeth extracted, and had parasites pretty bad.

If you'd like to donated towards their appointment, you can call Mountain View 304-788- 6602 or donate through pay pal. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/theheartoftheearth

01/02/2025

A quick update on our Tonks in her new home. I think the photos speak for themselves.

01/01/2025

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope your New Year's Eve was amazing.

As we step into 2025, we’re reflecting on a 2024 that was filled with healing, challenges, and growth. It was a year of perseverance, and one of the brightest moments was adopting out our first animal since the whirlwind of COVID and my own health struggles. It felt incredible, and we’re hopeful this trend continues!

We’d originally planned a little party for Diddy and Smalls today, but with just Derek and me holding down the fort, we couldn’t quite pull it together. These days, most of our time is spent caring for the critters, tackling endless cleaning and repairs, and doing our best to keep things running smoothly.

That said, we’re incredibly excited about January 5th! Bedford County Humane Society is hosting a celebration for the animals saved from the Bedford County hoarding case, and we’ll be taking Diddy and Smalls. We can’t wait to reunite with some of the other survivors and their new families—it’s going to be a special day.

Looking ahead, we have a few big hopes for 2025:

New enclosures for Rascal, Boo, and Moe (their current cages are ready for retirement).

More cat trees for the kitties to climb and play on.

Extending the dogs’ play yard with extra panels and adding a privacy fence to help minimize barking.

We’re so grateful for the support and encouragement we received in 2024—it means the world to us.

Wishing you and yours a year filled with love, laughter.

01/01/2025

01/01/2025

As we close out 2024, we want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who supported Heart of the Earth Sanctuary and Rescue throughout the year. Whether you donated, shared our posts, volunteered your time, or simply sent us words of encouragement, your kindness has made all the difference.

This year has had its challenges, but thanks to you, we’ve managed to squeeze by and continue caring for the animals who depend on us. From the wagging tails and purring, flying, swimming, etc, friends in our care, we send heartfelt gratitude for helping us provide the love, shelter, and medical attention they so desperately need.

Together, we’re making a difference—one life at a time. We couldn’t do it without you, and we look forward to continuing this journey of compassion and rescue with your support in 2025.

From all of us at Heart of the Earth, Thank you for being part of our family. 💕

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

12/30/2024

Freedom ride for this little guy. We are naming him "Winter." He is a sweetie. Thanks to Friends of Felines And Ferals for getting him from the pound and keeping him safe till I could come for him. We would like to start his vetting asap. Please help us help him and donate. Nothing is too small.
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/theheartoftheearth