Deacon's Heart

11/30/2025

Next Saturday! Free dog/cat food!

11/24/2025

11/10/2025

Folks, we know times are hard. We know people are having to choose between feeding their families and feeding their pets. We at Deacon's Heart and My Kids Have Paws understand this and are working to get a pet food drive started, and not just for the holiday season. For now, we are trying to get donations from our partner rescues and the public. We will also be trying to purchase a pallet or two of food at a discount. Once we start getting food/litter/other pet supplies in, we will announce the availability so you can come get some supplies. For now, if you are able to donate (supplies or financially), please reach out!

Here is the post, originally on MKHP FB page.

🐾 HEARTS FOR HUNGRY PAWS🐾
🎄 COMMUNITY HOLIDAY PET FOOD DRIVE🎄
🐶❤️🐱Let’s make sure every pet has a full bowl and a happy heart this holiday season!
Many families in our community are struggling to keep their pets fed this winter.
Let’s come together to share love, warmth, and full tummies!
❤️Help us fill every bowl this holiday season!❤️
📅 When: November 10th - December 2nd
📍Drop-off Location: My Kids Have Paws Veterinary Clinic : 169 Waterfront Way Dalton, Ga. 30720
🎁We’re Collecting:
🦴Dry & Canned Dog Food
🐈Dog & Cat Treats
🪶Cat Litter
🧸Toys, Collars, & Blankets
💵Monetary Donations (for bulk pet food purchases)
💖Together, we can make sure no pet goes hungry this holiday season💖
📍Drop-off Location: My Kids Have Paws Veterinary Clinic: 169 Waterfront Way, Dalton, GA 30720
👉Share this message with friends, family, and coworkers!
📩Want to help or sponsor? Contact [email protected] / (706) 671-1104

08/27/2025

We have WONDERFUL updates about the Cleveland Highway dogs!!!

The 4 adult dogs who were taken into Whitfield Animal Shelter HAVE RESCUE COMMITMENT!!! NOT ONE DOG WILL BE EUTHANIZED!!!! Two of the dogs will be transported up north and the two other dogs who are undersocialized will be going to a rescue that specializes in behavior cases! Thank you to Whitney at the Whitfield AS for working hard to secure placement for those two, and thank you to Lauren Stewart with TiggerTown for working with fosters to find a rescue in New York for the two friendlier boys!!

But THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

One of the litters of 5-ish month old pups have rescue commitment and will be transported north - THANK YOU, WHISKERS FUND!! There is still ONE of those 5 month old puppies out there who is proving to be quite difficult to trap. We think people are feeding him somewhere else, making it very difficult to reunite him with his siblings.

Along with those 5-ish month pups is a 1.5 year old dog who obviously had a litter - SHE HAS RESCUE COMMITMENT TOO!!! All of these dogs are currently in with FOSTERS and are fully vetted, waiting on transport in the next week or two.

We also have 2 other litters with no rescue commitment yet:
1. 3 female puppies approx 11 or 12 weeks - living at MKHP Vet Clinic because we don't have a foster. Those 3 puppies do not have rescue commitment at this time, but we are still networking! Stay tuned for pics - they're filling out so nicely now that they have good food and have been dewormed and gotten all their fleas and ticks off of them!!

2. 3 puppies approximately 9 weeks old, two girls and 1 boy. They are at a foster's house. We will be getting good pics and videos of them as well!

If you would like to foster, please let us know. Also, we're still collecting donations to continue our efforts to get these dogs off the streets.

We know that there were more dogs out there, but unfortunately, the neighborhood has stopped communicating with us. The remaining dogs have all gone elsewhere. And we're so heartbroken, because all we wanted to do was help get these dogs to a better place.

Please spread the word that ANYONE in that neighborhood who takes OWNERSHIP of any of those dogs and wants HELP getting their dogs fully vetted, we can do that! We have funds for that. PLEASE let us help you and your dogs (and cats)!

My list of people to thank is quite exhaustive, but there are 3 people who have had boots on the ground day in and day out to get as many of these dogs as possible. Brandy Dennison, Lauren Stewart, and Tammy Pippin. I can't tag them here because I'm not good with FB. But these three have worked themselves into the ground rescuing as many as possible.

Our work isn't done, but we are so excited at the progress made!

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/helping-the-homeless-dogs-of-cleveland-highway

08/17/2025

So many updates on the Cleveland Highway dogs!!

In addition to raising almost $1500, we received some vaccines, flea/tick/heartworm meds, heartworm tests, and a grant to help cover vetting for these dogs!

What we REALLY need is RESCUE commitment and ADOPTERS OR FOSTERS.

Huge shout out to Lauren from Tiggertown rescue for helping to catch most of the 9 dogs who have been taken to Animal Control!

Of those 9, there are four 5-6 month old pups who have rescue committed - THANK YOU WHISKERS FUND! They will be available for adoption once they are fully vetted. There's a 1.5 yr old female (we think the mom of the younger litter) who needs adopted/foster/rescue commitment but is safe for the moment. But there are 4 adults at Whitfield County Animal Control who have no place to go and will most likely be euthanized on Friday if we don't secure placement - this is NOT what we intended at all when we started this process.

Two of these are available for adoption because they are sweet dogs, both male - their pictures are posted. Because they've been on their own for a long time, they would probably prefer a slower environment and no crates/cages. These dogs have ALL of their vetting completely funded. This includes: flea/tick/heartworm prevention, vaccines, neutering, heartworm testing, heartworm treatment if they are heartworm postive, any medications they may need (skin infection, respiratory infection, etc), and 2 free exams at MKHP within 6 months of adoption.

The other two are labeled as "aggressive" by Whitfield Animal Shelter and are only available for a licensed rescue. They are freaked out and need a chance to live without being caged.

As for the rest of the dogs, we are working on it. We believe there are a couple of small Chihuahua mixes, a few lab mixes, a lot of husky mixes, and others. There are 2 more small puppies (approx 10 weeks). ALL VETTING IS COVERED. The more people who step up to foster or adopt, the faster we can get them off the roads. The more rescues who step up, the more we can vet. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help us help them.

08/09/2025

Update on the homeless dogs of Cleveland Highway campaign!

We have raised $970!! This is tremendous!

In watching another video sent by the woman who helps care for these animals, we noticed a lot of cats in the background as well. So, we will also be starting a TNR program for these kitties. The funds we raise for the Cleveland Hwy dogs will go strictly to the dogs. If we have any left over funds, we will use it for the TNR program for the homeless kitties.

08/06/2025

UPDATE 8/7 - We've raised almost $900!! Thank you so much!! We also got an amazing donation from Zoetis - vaccines, heartworm tests, and Simparica Trio! That reduces our financial need by $1000! Whitfield County Animal Shelter also offered vaccines and heartworm tests, but since Zoetis stepped up, the shelter is going to sponsor a spay or two! Every little bit helps. Keep sharing! We will also be looking for homes/rescues for these pups as we get them fully vetted at the clinic. We'll be posting information about them on this FB page and on the MKHP FB page as we get them into the clinic. If you can open your home to one or two, please let us know! Thank you to this amazing village!!

We at Deacon's Heart and My Kids Have Paws Veterinary Clinic are partnering with the people involved in caring for the homeless dogs of Cleveland Highway. MKHP will provide spay/neuter, heartworm testing, flea/tick medicine, heartworm prevention, deworming, vaccines, and a few days of boarding. We will also try to get as many of these dogs into rescue or adopted to good homes as possible. Our endeavors will start the week of August 18th. Please consider donating (click the link below) to their care and spread the word. All donations are tax deductible.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/helping-the-homeless-dogs-of-cleveland-highway

08/03/2025

Deacon’s Heart (DH) is a nonprofit fund, designed by the owner/veterinarian of My Kids Have Paws Veterinary Clinic (MKHP) in Dalton, GA (www.mykidshavepawsvet.com; My Kids Have Paws). Here’s a bit of our backstory:

MKHP was started 7 years ago to provide affordable veterinary care to the northwest GA region; this mission is designed to help keep pets in their homes, reduce the burden on shelters/rescues, and decrease the euthanasia rate. Since COVID, the world of animal rescue/welfare has gotten so much worse. Euthanasia rates in our area have tripled, dumped animals are all over the place, pleas on FB and other social media platforms for rehoming are staggering.

DH was started approximately 1 year ago to raise funds to help offset our low prices, to increase availability to spay/neuter, and to help even more people keep animals in their homes. We currently raise funds for: spay/neuter, medical care, no restrictions. Because we’re trying to make an impact in the northwest GA region, our funds go to services provided by MKHP (it’s the most affordable option in most cases). We hope to someday expand this to other geographical areas/clinics.

At this time, if you need financial assistance at our clinic, please contact our rescue team at MKHP – [email protected].

If you’d like to donate, you can click on our button on our website (deaconsheart.org) and donate through PayPal – please email us if you’d like your funds to support something specific. Otherwise, please reach out to [email protected] for any other means of donation.

Please like and share to spread the word! We appreciate your support!

05/13/2025

Join us on our mission to ensure pets have access to veterinary care! Deacon's Heart is a 501(c)3 non profit that focuses on bridging the gap between financial hardship and quality veterinary care.

Donations are imperative in our ability to provide pets with much needed services such as spay/neuter, vaccines, preventions, medications and so much more! Donations can be made online at www.deaconsheart.org or by mailing a check to 169 Waterfront Way Dalton, GA 30720. Donations are tax deductible.

Please like and share our page as we grow!

Deacon's Heart provides affordable veterinary care for pets in need. Compassionate, accessible services for all. Contact us today!