‘Hero of the Year’ provides foster homes for dogs while their owners seek addiction treatment

Entering addiction treatment can be a tough choice for pet owners, especially when finding care for their animals becomes a challenge.

For many struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, the fear of leaving their pets behind often makes them reluctant to seek residential rehab, adding another layer of difficulty to an already emotional decision.

A survey by DogVacay found that two-thirds of dog owners leave their pets alone for long periods, with 80% feeling guilty about it.

On average, dogs spend around 2,080 hours alone annually, and 60% of owners worry their pets might get hurt.

For those in addiction treatment, these concerns are even more stressful, adding to the challenges of recovery.

Meanwhile, Stephen Knight and his nonprofit have been recognized as the 2024 CNN Heroes of the Year for their work in easing this burden.

The organization provides foster care for dogs, allowing people in recovery to focus on their treatment without worrying about their pets.

“This means everything. I represent so much here. I represent the recovery community. The dog rescue community. … This is going to be able to take us to the next level.”

In 2011, Stephen Knight hit rock bottom at the age of 51. His meth addiction had cost him everything—his family, job, home, and nearly his life.

Battling HIV and living in his car, Knight entered rehab at his mother’s urging. During this critical stage of recovery, a life-changing moment occurred.

A friend struggling with relapse showed up at his door in tears. She faced the devastating choice of surrendering her beloved dog, Jayde, and asked Knight for a ride to the shelter, as she had no other options.

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

Stephen Knight’s experience with his friend highlighted a critical issue: many people seeking addiction treatment were delaying or skipping it because they couldn’t find reliable care for their pets.

To address this, Knight contacted a local animal rescue organization and learned about foster care best practices.

He also pointed out the challenges of overcrowded shelters, where animals may face euthanasia when capacity is exceeded.

“We cannot have the solution be euthanize dogs. We can’t,” he said.

In 2015, Stephen Knight’s organization, Dogs Matter, became an official nonprofit, marking a key milestone in his vision to help people in recovery.

He developed a program with strict vetting, behavior assessments, and contracts to ensure participants followed their recovery plans and received 12 months of post-treatment support.

Today, Knight’s nonprofit has assisted over 1,200 dogs and their owners.

As he nears 14 years of sobriety, Knight plans to expand Dogs Matter nationwide, hoping to create a model program that gives more animals and their human companions second chances.

“I share this award with Jayde. She’s the reason why I did this. One act of kindness and then to have that dream and that goal to be able to help others and do one step at a time to get there. And…1,200 dogs later it’s amazing. It’s just beginning too.”

Stephen Knight, named CNN Hero of the Year, will receive a $100,000 grant to support the expansion of his organization, Dogs Matter.

Along with this grant, Knight will get $10,000 in cash and the opportunity to earn up to $50,000 in matching donations from the Elevate Prize Foundation. He will also receive an additional $50,000 from Elevate.

Now in its third year, this partnership provides organizational support to help CNN Heroes expand their impactful work.

Watch Stephen Knight’s story and his acceptance of CNN Hero of the Year for providing foster homes for dogs whose owners undergo addiction treatment: