In the world of animal rescue, some organizations focus on one species, one type of care, or one specific mission. Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue has chosen a different path—one rooted in openness, compassion, and a commitment to helping any animal in need. While they do primarily help dogs, they will help all animals. Cats, farm animals, pocket pets, and reptiles, you name it, their work is driven by a simple but powerful belief: every animal deserves high-quality care, no matter the circumstances.
We’re so grateful to Johanna at Coco’s Heart for taking the time to share their story with us. What started as a volunteer opportunity has grown into a lifelong passion for many involved, and today, Coco’s Heart continues to make a profound impact through both rescue and education. Below, they share more about their mission, challenges, and the unforgettable animals who have shaped their journey.
A Rescue Without Limits
At its core, Coco’s Heart is about saying “yes” when animals need it most. While many rescues must narrow their focus, this organization has built a model that allows it to expand.
Can you tell us what your organization is all about?
Coco’s Heart opens the door to anyone in need. We pride ourselves on providing high-quality care to our animals and providing the care they need and deserve. This often includes speciality procedures and care. Education and community involvement are very important to us as well, and we have offered kid day camps as well as Children’s Day for the younger generations to learn about rescue and how they can make a difference for animals in need. We also have a mini horse program on-site with us that houses two special needs mini horses who offer a volunteer program for people of all ages, including those with disabilities or special needs, to volunteer and learn about all things horses. While our name has “dog rescue” in it, we strive to serve any animal in need to the best of our ability. Our foster and volunteer base varies in experience and diversity, and allows us the opportunity to help other species.
Growing With the Mission
For many involved, like Johanna, Coco’s Heart isn’t just something they do—it’s something they grow with.
Tell us about your personal history with the organization.
I began volunteering while in college. I started volunteering in more ways as time went on and eventually worked my way into a coordinator role, and I have now been with the organization for about 12 years. I have “grown up” with the organization in a sense, and it has become such a part of me that I will be forever grateful to have been so welcomed as a young college student.
That sense of connection and longevity is a reflection of the community Coco’s Heart has built—one that keeps people coming back, not just to help, but to stay.
The Animals Who Stay With You
Ask anyone in rescue, and they’ll tell you—it’s the animals who leave the biggest imprint.
For Coco’s Heart, one unforgettable story comes in a very small package.
What are some of the funniest or most unique things you’ve encountered?
The openness from our community and support for the animals we welcome to rescue. We received a plea to help a little mini dwarf horse who needed help, and our community supported that rescue effort and his journey in rescue. His name was Richard, and he brought so much joy to our lives. He was smaller than a large dog and would often need to be driven in the back of an SUV to the speciality clinic for routine appointments, and his personality was bigger than he was. We will never forget our Richard and all the fun we had with him.
Stories like Richard’s capture the heart of what Coco’s Heart does—not just saving lives, but creating moments of connection, joy, and community along the way.
The Reality Behind Rescue
Like many rescues, the biggest challenge isn’t the willingness to help—it’s having the resources to do so.
What are the biggest challenges facing your organization? How can our readers help?
Financial support! We strive for the highest quality veterinary care, and with that comes very high medical expenses. Often, our animals need extensive dental work, orthopedic procedures, additional virus testing depending on their history, spaying/neutering, vaccines, etc., and these expenses add up very quickly. Financial support and donations help continue to fund these efforts, and we are so thankful for each supporter!
Providing that level of care means making difficult decisions at times, especially when resources are stretched. It’s also why their long-term vision is so important.
Do you have any new or upcoming programs or goals?
Our long-time goal is to build and offer an education center for our community where we would be able to offer more year-round education opportunities, volunteer opportunities with our animals (dogs, cats, mini horses, etc.), while continuing to save the lives of our rescue animals. Utilizing the same space as our rescue efforts unfortunately slows down or stops our rescue efforts, and we have had to make some tough decisions to limit our education opportunities so we can continue with our rescue mission.
Why It Matters
At the end of the day, the most rewarding part of rescue is also the simplest.
What is the most rewarding part of working with your organization?
Helping the animals we serve. We often help those with significant medical needs that are left overlooked or facing euthanasia because of it, and being able to watch their journeys in rescue and then them finding their forever homes has been truly rewarding to see. Our foster and volunteer base is also so incredible. They continue to show up each and every day, they step forward to help animals in need, and fuel our organization to continue when things can seem really heavy and tough some days.
Get Involved
For those inspired to support or get involved, Coco’s Heart makes it easy to take that next step.
If someone wants to visit, join, support, or volunteer, where can they find more information?
Our Coco’s Heart website! We have so much information there where you can find our applications to foster, adopt, and volunteer, as well as more information about our events and programs going on throughout the year. It also showcases the partnerships that we have with organizations near and far.
