CONTACT US
Text or call: 704-600-5665
Your Sanctuary Cottage Hosts
Rick and Carolyn Solan
Rick and Carolyn have a background in hotel and restaurant management, and they've always loved animals.
Vacationing with their canine companions was of utmost importance to them, but finding dog-friendly places to stay wasn't always easy. That's why they're welcoming both human and dog guests to their beautiful sanctuary, with no extra fees for your dogs.
They always dreamed of having a dog-friendly vacation rental on the property, and that dream was realized in 2023 when they opened the Sanctuary Cottage as a vacation rental at Changing Hearts Farm. It's a dog-lover's dream vacation!
Why Rick and Carolyn Started Changing Hearts Farm Sanctuary and the Sanctuary Cottage
Rick and Carolyn found a passion for saving lives through their journey toward veganism. Obese and taking pills to control his high blood pressure and cholesterol, Rick’s diagnosis with heart disease in 2011 was the prelude for a new way of life. The start of this new healthier and more compassionate way of living happened by chance when he and Carolyn watched the documentary Forks Over Knives.
Inspired by the Forks Over Knives film, they converted to a fully plant-based diet and within 6 short months, Rick, no longer clinically obese, had returned to the same weight he’d been during his college years. With a fresh sense of energy and free of prescription drugs, he completed the Miami Marathon in 2017. Achieving a feat that was unimaginable just a few short years before.
That same year, driven by their newfound empathy for non-human animals, Rick and Carolyn began construction on Changing Hearts Farm Sanctuary. A pecan tree grove, formerly overgrown with brush, weeds, and poison ivy; with no roads, utilities, or fencing, has been transformed. Those same 18 acres are now filled with beautiful, lush pastures to shelter and care for the rescued residents who call Changing Hearts Farm Sanctuary home.
At a time in life when most others are retired, Rick and Carolyn have taken a different path. They continue to work full-time at their Charlotte-based business to provide funding for the ongoing build-out of the grounds.
Your Sanctuary Stay at Changing Hearts Farm goes directly to providing funding to the Sanctuary as well. Thank you for supporting our wonderful animal residents by vacationing in our Sanctuary Cottage.
Visit Changing Hearts Farm Sanctuary for more information about Rick and Carolyn.