Sacred Hearts Unchained

At some point, both people in addiction and animals in shelters were made to feel unwanted, overlooked, or too hard to care for. At Sacred Hearts Unchained, they are offered something different. Inside halfway houses, animals who were facing euthanasia, long shelter stays, or unsafe beginnings live alongside people entering recovery for the first time. For someone walking into a recovery home, it can be intimidating — new rules, new accountability, and emotions once suppressed by drugs are suddenly present. In that space, animals become a bridge. They interrupt isolation, invite connection, and give residents something real to care for. Through daily routines, responsibility, bonding, and love, both people and animals begin to heal while still working on their individual needs. Sacred Hearts becomes a stepping stone for both — a place where healing happens before people go on to reclaim their lives, their homes, and their families, and animals move on to permanent homes of their own. They recover together — people reclaiming their lives, and animals finding homes of their own — guiding each other through the journey and into what comes next. Because sometimes saving them saves us too.

Our Mission

 

Sacred Hearts Unchained brings recovery and animal rescue together through fostering, service, and second chances. By giving people in recovery the opportunity to care for dogs in need, we create purpose, responsibility, connection, and a chance for healing on both ends of the leash.

Every placement is supported by compassion, guidance, and a community that believes transformation is possible. As participants build confidence through daily care, training, and companionship, rescue dogs receive the consistency and love they need to thrive—creating a powerful path forward for both people and pets.

And this is only the beginning. Keep an eye on Unchained—something much bigger is coming soon.

 

Our Current Fosters

Every dog has a story, and every one of them deserves a second chance. These are the dogs currently waiting for theirs.

Duke

Duke is a four-year-old, medium-sized lover boy with a gentle heart underneath his tough appearance. He is calm, affectionate, great with children and friendly with other dogs. Duke is kennel trained, potty trained and knows his basic commands.

After everything he has been through, Duke still chooses to trust and love people. He is currently being fostered at the Sacred Hearts women’s recovery home, where he gets plenty of love while he waits for a family of his own.

Duke is available for adoption through the Humane Educational Society. His adoption fee is $50, and his animal ID is HES-A-189570.

Cali

Cali is a beautiful four-year-old blue brindle pit who has already experienced more loss than most dogs should. After her original owner passed away, Cali found herself at Gordon County Animal Control and on the euthanasia list. She was adopted and given a second chance, quickly becoming a deeply loved and constant companion to her new owner.

Then Cali unexpectedly lost the life she knew for a second time when her owner was involved in a serious accident and could no longer care for her. Since then, Cali has been living in the Sacred Hearts recovery homes, where she is safe, cared for and very loved.

Cali is smart, loyal, affectionate and absolutely the queen of the house. She is kennel trained, potty trained and leash trained. She loves being close to her people and is completely convinced she belongs in your lap. She can be protective of her home when meeting someone new, but underneath her intimidating appearance, she is really a scaredy cat.

Cali is dog friendly and does best with male dogs or non-dominant females. She also does well with children, although older children may be a better fit because of her size and excitement.

More than anything, Cali needs consistency. She bonds deeply with her people and has already had her world change twice through circumstances completely beyond her control. She deserves a permanent home where she can finally settle in, love her people and know they aren't going anywhere.

 

Adoption Fee: $100

Cheech & Chong

Cheech and Chong are 6–8 months old and two of the sweetest boys you’ll meet. Saved from euthanasia at Bartow County Animal Control, they’re now living at our men’s recovery home and winning everyone over.

Cheech is curious, adventurous, and always ready to explore. Chong is the bigger of the two, but he’s a total lapdog who loves attention. Both are gentle, affectionate, and coming out of their shells more every day. They’re learning basic commands and manners and doing great with potty training.

They can be adopted together or separately.

Adoption fee: $100 each

Ways to Give:

Donations

Your support allows this work to continue.

Contributions help sustain foster placements, provide essential supplies, and support the shelters and rescues carrying the heaviest intake burdens. By giving, you are directly strengthening lifesaving efforts while allowing this model to grow responsibly.

We accept monetary donations as well as in-kind contributions, including dog food, cat food, litter, puppy pads, towels, blankets, beds, crates, and cages. These items are distributed to support our foster placements and partner organizations actively managing urgent cases.

To make a donation, please use the links above.
An Amazon Wishlist will be available soon.

Support at every level helps ensure this work continues — thoughtfully, effectively, and with long-term impact.

Animal Intake

Important Note About Animal Intake

At this time, Sacred Hearts Unchained is not accepting outside animals. We do not currently have the space, funding, or resources to take in additional animals independently.

Our role right now is to work side by side with established shelters and rescues who are overwhelmed. We foster animals within recovery homes until they are adopted, while shelters and rescues continue to take on urgent intakes and outside cases. This allows us to support lifesaving efforts without overextending beyond what we can responsibly manage at this stage.

As we grow and secure the funding and resources needed to expand, we hope to increase our capacity in the future. We appreciate your understanding as we build this mission the right way.

Pet Resources

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Our Success Stories

These photos celebrate some of the dogs whose lives have been changed through Sacred Hearts Unchained. Each one was fostered, supported, or adopted after receiving care, structure, and love from people in recovery. Their time here helped them build confidence, show their true personalities, and take the next step toward a safe, happy future.

Are you interested in fostering?

Interested in trying a short-term “slumber party” with a dog we’ve personally met and loved on through one of our shelter partners? Looking to foster a dog already in the recovery home environment, or searching for a specific pet that fits your life? We’ll guide you through the process and help match you with the right fit.

Fostering is flexible and non-committal — even one night can make a difference. All costs are covered; all that’s needed is an open home, an open heart, and a little extra space to share.