The Heart of the Earth Sanctuary & Rescue (HOTE) is an animal sanctuary and rescue based in Cumberland, Maryland. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, HOTE has faced a severe drop in volunteer support. With the loss of most of their volunteer team and their son, Hayden Davis, due to career choices, they have no consistent help, and Kerry and Derek have had to juggle both employment and the HOTE because caring for the sanctuary’s animals is a full-time responsibility by itself.

Phebe had the opportunity to visit the sanctuary and witness firsthand the incredible work being done there, as well as the challenges HOTE faces every day.

"What I saw moved me deeply. I witnessed an animal sanctuary overflowing with love, compassion, and animals who desperately need care, but also a sanctuary struggling to survive under the weight of overwhelming need and limited resources."

HOTE is run almost entirely by Kerry Weide and her husband, Derek. Two people who give every ounce of their time, energy, and finances to protect animals that others have abandoned or given up on. From nursing sick animals back to health to providing them with a loving and safe home, Kerry and Derek work tirelessly, often late into the night, to make sure every animal is fed, cleaned, and cared for.

And they are doing it almost completely alone.

The sanctuary is over capacity. Every room is full. And still, animals continue to arrive. People in crisis don’t know where else to turn, and often, HOTE is the only place they can rely on to care for their pets. This ongoing influx of animals has stretched the sanctuary’s resources to their breaking point.

The need for immediate help is dire. HOTE urgently needs funds, volunteers, and support to continue providing safe haven and medical care to the animals who need it most.

The Heart of the Earth Sanctuary & Rescue is a non-profit “rescue without borders.” Since 2017, they’ve taken in:

They rehabilitate them, provide medical treatment, give them safety, and, when possible, find loving forever homes. Many others become permanent residents due to age, medical needs, or trauma. As Kerry shared, “We also have a pig, a chinchilla, and a turtle,” on top of their dogs, cats, and birds, proving the wide range of animals that depend on HOTE for lifelong care.

Animal sanctuaries have a long history and have changed as people’s views on animal welfare have grown. While today’s sanctuaries started in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, their roots go back to ancient cultures that valued kindness to animals. Now, in the twenty-first century, sanctuaries are part of a global effort focused on rescue, rehabilitation, and advocacy, similar to what HOTE does. Many groups follow accreditation standards from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) to make sure they provide ethical care and are transparent (GFAS, n.d.). Today, many sanctuaries, including HOTE, are part of larger movements for sustainability and justice, seeing how animal welfare, protecting the environment, and human ethics are all connected.

Since the onset of COVID-19, The Heart of the Earth Sanctuary & Rescue (HOTE) has been forced to operate under a managed intake system, only accepting animals on a case-by-case basis when space and resources allow. This was a hard but necessary decision. 90% of their intake now consists of senior animals or those with special needs, a demographic that often struggles the most to find help.

According to HOTE, "senior" for most pets (e.g., dogs, cats) is defined as those over 7 years of age. They are often overlooked, abandoned, or surrendered as their health declines. These animals come with emotional scars from their past, and many face significant medical challenges. Special needs animals, such as those with physical disabilities, missing limbs, or neurological issues, also make up a large portion of the animals HOTE rescues. They require more time, care, and attention to ensure they live out the rest of their lives in comfort and love.

Kerry Weide, the heart and soul behind HOTE, has carried a lifelong passion for rescue work. “I was always drawn to saving animals. As a kid, I would bring this and that home,” she shared, reflecting on the beginnings of her devotion to helping animals in need. “When I purchased my first house in 1998, it was with the intention to rescue, which we did small scale and out of our own pockets...We finally got things going officially in 2012.” (Kerry Weide, 2025)

When the time was finally right, Kerry dove in headfirst in 2012, turning her dream into a reality of starting a sanctuary. However, as the sanctuary grew and more animals were saved, Kerry and her husband Derek quickly realized that, without sufficient support, they were at risk of becoming overwhelmed. Funding and volunteer shortages led them to scale back their intake and focus on helping the most vulnerable: senior and special needs animals. “We had the intention of growing. But again...life, so we had to change gears. However, we still have the dream and desire to help more animals,” Kerry explained. The ultimate goal for HOTE is to expand to a larger property with more room to care for even more animals in need. Despite the setbacks, HOTE remains steadfast in its mission.

The sanctuary is eco-conscious in its operations, but due to financial constraints, they have had to reduce some of its environmentally friendly practices. While they still use eco-friendly cleaning supplies and recycle as much as possible, HOTE has big hopes for the future. With a larger facility, they plan to go solar and transition to eco-friendly litter and other sustainable practices that align with their commitment to protecting the earth alongside protecting animals.

1. Severe Overcapacity, Especially With Cats

There are more cats than the sanctuary can house, but turning them away means sending them back to danger. To address this, HOTE needs to build a new cat room immediately. but they do not have the funds for construction materials, insulation, flooring, or supplies.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (2025), approximately 5.8 million cats and dogs entered U.S. shelters and rescues in 2024. Of these intakes, about 60% were strays and 29% were owner surrenders. The previous year saw similar figures with around 6.5 million animals entering shelters in 2023, of which 25% were owner surrenders and the remainder primarily strays (Shelter Animals Count, n.d.).

2. Financial Hardship for the Founders

Because caring for the animals requires round-the-clock attention, the founders go in and out of jobs. Their personal finances cannot sustain the sanctuary’s rising needs.

3. Constant Medical Expenses

The sanctuary is drowning in vet bills due to:

4. Basic Daily Care Supplies Are Running Low

These are the items they rely on every single day, and what their budget goes toward month after month. They urgently need:

We are raising $350 USD to stabilize the sanctuary, support the animals currently in their care, and give HOTE the foundation it needs to continue saving lives. These funds will help cover:

Animal abandonment is a growing issue, and many animals are left with nowhere to go. In places like Allegany County, Maryland, there are simply not enough resources to meet the demand for rescue services. HOTE plays a crucial role in saving animals' lives, but it cannot continue without help.

These animals need safe places to heal, medical care, and a chance at a better life. Without the sanctuary, many would face uncertain futures.

Your support is the lifeline that will allow HOTE to continue this important work. Here’s how you can make a difference:

The Heart of the Earth Sanctuary & Rescue is a sanctuary not just for animals but for anyone who believes in second chances. With your help, Kerry and Hayden can continue offering that second chance to the animals who need it most.

We are hoping to address the social issue of the crisis of overburdened, under-resourced animal sanctuaries, like HOTE, caring for senior and special needs animals. Across the United States, animal sanctuaries and rescues are under serious strain. Sanctuaries such as Heart of the Earth Sanctuary & Rescue (HOTE) are left to deal with a larger problem: there is not enough affordable pet care, community resources are limited, and there are few safety nets for animals whose owners can no longer care for them. Because of this, small rescues are stretched too thin, struggling financially, and at risk of closing, which puts vulnerable animals in immediate danger.

Every donation, share, and word of encouragement will help the sanctuary stay open and continue its life-saving work. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of this journey.

Click the names below to learn more about some of their animals and their story.

For more information, and to see all of the wonderful animals looking for homes, please visit the official HOTE website Phebe created. You can learn about the animals’ individual stories, see the sanctuary’s latest updates, find volunteer opportunities, and contact the team directly for more ways to help.

Contact Heart of the Earth Sanctuary & Rescue, Inc.

Website: hoteheartoftheearth

Email: [email redacted]

TAX ID # 45-5523385

Charity ID #158662

Contributions

External Research: Cassidy Crews / Internal Research: Phebe Fabacher / Social Issue: Phebe Fabacher / Interview: Phebe Fabacher, Kerry Weide / HOTE's Mission: Cassidy Crews, Phebe Fabacher / HOTE's Story: Phebe Fabacher, Hayden Davis, Kerry Weide / Urgent Issues: Phebe Fabacher / Raising Funds: Phebe Fabacher / Why Support: Phebe Fabacher / GoFundMe Creation & Management: Phebe Fabacher / Photos & Video: Phebe Fabacher, Hayden Davis / Graphic Design: Phebe Fabacher / Website: Phebe Fabacher / References: Cassidy Crews

© 2025 The Heart of the Earth Sanctuary and Rescue, Inc.

References

U.S. animal shelter statistics. ASPCA. (n.d.). https://www.aspca.org/helping-shelters-people-pets/us-animal-shelter-statistics

Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (gfas). Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. (2023, March 20). https://www.sanctuaryfederation.org/

SAC releases 2023 annual intake and outcome data analysis - shelter animals count. (n.d.). https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/sac-releases-2023-annual-analysis/