We’re excited to announce the winner of our month, year Matt Kurtz Kindness Grant for his wonderful kindness project. The grant was given by Matt’s Kindness Ripples On (MKRO), an organization that encourages acts of kindness by helping people who have ideas for kindness projects but lack the funding to follow through on those ideas.

Congratulations to Stephen Knight!
He will receive a grant to help fund his acts of kindness project.

In 2015, Stephen Knight founded Dogs Matter, a nonprofit organization that has helped more than 1,200 dogs and their owners stay together by providing temporary foster care for pets while their owners undergo inpatient addiction treatment. For Stephen, the mission is deeply personal; he’s in recovery himself and will soon celebrate 14 years clean and sober.

Stephen’s journey to this point hasn’t been easy. In 2011, at 51 years old, he had lost everything to meth addiction – his family, his job, his home and nearly his life. Living out of his car and HIV-positive, he decided to enter rehab.

Eight months into recovery, a friend came to him in tears. She had relapsed and needed to return to treatment, but she was holding her beloved puppy, a 15-pound Maltese-Dachshund mix named Jayde. With no one to care for the dog, she was preparing to surrender her to a shelter.

“I looked at Jayde, and we looked at each other.” Knight said. “It was one of the most spiritual moments, like ‘I think we might need each other here.’”

“I’ll take her.” he told his friend.

That simple act of kindness became the spark for Dogs Matter. “I never thought it would turn into thousands of other dogs getting help that they need.” he said.

Through his recovery, Stephen realized that many people delay or avoid addiction treatment because they can’t find safe housing for their pets. His program now offers a solution: temporary foster care for dogs, all expenses covered, while their humans focus on getting well. Once participants leave treatment, they’re supported through a 12-month wraparound program that helps them stay on track with their sobriety.

“It gives them so much hope.” said Stephen. “We’re finding that the bond between humans and their animals made such a big difference in the recovery. People were staying sober. People had purpose.”

Participants are required to stay in touch, follow their recovery plan and complete the year-long aftercare program. In return, they receive regular photos and updates of their pets, maintaining that vital connection during treatment.

One participant shared how the program transformed his life:

“Through all the times that I’ve felt like I didn’t deserve love, Remy has always loved me unconditionally.” he said. “I didn’t want to lose my dog, and then somebody told me about Dogs Matter. I had no idea just how much help and resources it would bring into my life.”

“I’d flip through those pictures every day.” he continued. “Knowing that he’s happy and being taken care of, it would remind me that I’m doing the right thing.”

Stephen credits the program’s success to the volunteers who step up to foster dogs. “If we don’t have the foster families, we’re not able to do this mission.” he said. “You’re saving that dog’s life and the owner’s life. And we’re able to prevent a dog from ending up in a shelter.”

Now 14 years sober, Stephen also serves as a Substance Abuse Counselor and Program Director at Legacy Cares where he runs an Intensive Outpatient Program for individuals with HIV and substance use disorders. Through both roles he’s committed to giving people, and their pets, the second chance he was given.

Jayde, the dog who started it all, is still by Stephen’s side today, living in her forever home with her dog siblings, Piper and Lady.

Stephen is truly an inspiration. We’re proud to add Stephen and his dogs to our MKRO Family.

 

This grant is given in honor of Matt Kurtz, (1985-2017), a young man whose personal philosophy was to live an honorable, compassionate and non-judgmental life. To give for the sake of giving, to expect nothing in return, to be aware of the world around him and to step in to help others without being asked whenever he saw the need. Matt believed in the ripple effect of a simple act of kindness – like a pebble dropped in water, it goes on and on. You can find out more about how Matt lived his life, examples of his many acts of kindness, big and small, and why this grant was created on MattsKindnessRipplesOn.com.