What Is Our Mission?
We have Big Hearts for Big Breeds so we got a Big Rescue, that pretty much sums it up.
At Big Hearts for Big Breeds, we are dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and re-homing large-breed animals, particularly Great Danes and horses, across Arizona. Our mission is to provide a safe haven for these gentle giants, ensuring they receive the love, care, and second chances they deserve. We work tirelessly to educate the community on responsible ownership and the unique needs of large-breed animals, while advocating for the compassion and respect that all animals deserve. Through rescue, outreach, and support, we aim to create lasting bonds between animals and their forever families, fostering a world where every big heart has a loving home.
Board Of Directors
Liz Pachter
Liz has spent most of her life in AZ even though she has tried to move away on several occasions. She always knew she wanted to foster but for a while thought it was going to be kids, not dogs. Surprise! Liz helped start this rescue because of her love for seeing lives redeemed. She is especially a sucker for the timid shy dogs and watching them transform with confidence.
Raleigh Kerger
Raleigh Kerger has been rescuing animals since she was a little girl. It was a gift, something that came natural to Raleigh. No matter if it was a pigeon that fell out of a tree, a litter of kittens needing bottle fed, or stray dogs that somehow found their way to her childhood home, she was there to help them. Her passion for animals only grew as she got older but her knowledge and experience also grew with it. She volunteered with two other large breed dog rescues and it was through her time there that she recognized that every dog deserved a chance, no matter their story. And she wanted to give each dog their chance at redemption. It isn’t IF but WHEN each dog gets their forever home, their redemption story. She branched off with some close friends who had the same mindset and desire to rescue and rehabilitate large breed dogs in need while still maintaining ethical standards for ourselves and our rescue. And so, Big Hearts for Big Breeds was born and their story began. Raleigh and the BHBB team have big dreams moving forward and can’t wait to see what God has in store for them.
Heidi Burkhart
Heidi is an Arizona native who still gets lost on the east side. She works at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Maintenance Training. She was a previous vet tech of 10 years and continues to share her love of animals with her kids and husband. She has several pets including a 31b chihuahua who is the boss of all the dogs including the 5 Great Danes. Her goal is to continue support and love the animals who come into rescue as well as help educate and support those in the community as well as to pet a hippopotamus.
Stephan Hecker
Stephan combines his love for the building and remodeling profession with his background in the area of Business Administration to be a small business owner, providing construction and inspection services in the valley. Using his experiences with running two businesses, he is able to use these skills to assist the rescue with the business side of running a successful rescue. He is married to Amy Hecker and they share their home with a small zoo of 5 dogs (4 with special needs), cats and a tortoise. Big breeds are a huge part of his world, currently having 4 great danes and an XL tortoise. Almost 20 years ago, he rescued his soul dog, Chloe (a large mixed breed) and ever since, various big breeds have been a large part of his life. Being a board member of this amazing rescue allows him to serve and be an active participant in the rescue, fostering his love of big breeds. In his free time, he enjoys spending time in the great Arizona Outdoors, boating, fishing and exploring.
Caroline Morder
Caroline is originally from upstate NY and moved to AZ in 2009 to follow the sun. She is the Hospital Manager at McClintock Animal Care in Tempe, where she has worked since 2009. She and her husband Heath have a sweet and spicy daughter named Everly. She currently has a Dane named Sandor, a mill survivor Miles the Cavalier, a cat named Kiko, a hedgehog named Sage, and a 130lb tortoise named Dinosaur. Her dream as a little girl was to own a Great Dane, and she has fulfilled that dream over and over! One of her favorite things about working in rescue is watching the dogs decompress, and learn how to be a dog. Most of the fosters’ she has taken in have come from rough pasts: living outside, experiencing hunger, and not knowing what love or couches are. When her fosters finally relax, know that their next meal is guaranteed and start to play, it brings an indescribable joy to her and her family. She hopes that one day she can help create regulations and guidelines for breeders and backyard breeders to improve the quality of lives and minimize the unnecessary euthanasia’s that happen daily.