This is an amazing resource for SWFL. They serve grieving families with no judgement or bias. Kids…read morelove the home atmosphere and always want to return. You need to check them out!

This organization has been absolutely a life saver for my wife and myself, being a Gulf War combat…read moreveteran relying on VA compensation to try to live a fulfilling life which most of the time is never better enough that is where Hearts and homes come in and giving us the help we need to have a better quality of life which is all that veterans and their families strive for. Thank you hearts and homes and all of your staff for putting the time in to make this happen Me and Mrs CPL John A. Boddy US Marine Corp Desert Storm Veteran

Love Hearts and homes they have helped and are such a awesome non profit in Fort Myers helping the…read morelocal veterans community

A Quality Rescue. Everything was clean and volunteers were seen attending to these wonderful…read moreanimals, thanks for all that they do.

Great tour guide and the place is an amazing sanctuary for the horses. They take such good care of…read morethem and I recommend others take a tour!

This animal rescue sanctuary is truly a special place. My husband and I loved it. You can feel the…read morecompassion and dedication the moment you arrive. Julie and the volunteers clearly care deeply about the animals and go above and beyond to ensure they are safe, healthy, and loved. The sanctuary is clean, well-organized, and focused on the animals' well-being above all else. It's inspiring to see animals given a second chance at life in such a nurturing environment. Thank you Julie for being our tour guide! It was amazing!! The sanctuary is a must see!!

I'll just go ahead and say it. You can't walk through the gates of Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary on a…read moreguided tour and come out the same person you were before. Not if your heart is beating. Nestled in a secluded animal mecca near the Babcock Ranch proximity of Punta Gorda, live 57ish forms of wildlife who have found their forever home in Octagon, most of whom would not be alive had it not been for the compassionate hearts who saved these sentient beings. Yes, of course, this Disneyland For Wildlife has lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! (admit it, you saw that one coming), but so much more, including species you would not expect to see at a wildlife sanctuary. For example, the homing pigeons who landed at Octagon because they were orphaned and have no knowledge of how to forage for food. As well as the alligator who grew up in a bathtub (don't even get me started). How about the pair of Macaws that were rescued from a dentist's office after the patients were teaching them one too many curse words ? And the monkey (cue the waterworks, it's ok to cry along with me) who was abandoned in a cage and left at the gates to Octagon on Thanksgiving Day. We can't forget the baboon who spins gleefully on three legs when he thinks no one is watching, which is extraordinary when you learn that he came to Octagon because of a history of being mentally abused. The one thing they all have in common? They're all rescues. All of these majestic creatures have been rescued and offered a New Beginning to live out the rest of their lives in a place where they are happy and well-cared for. In fact, Octagon was rated as one of the Top 10 wildlife sanctuaries in the country for the happiest animal residents. Now, that's saying something. Octagon even has resident "squatters", i.e. animals that don't need to be here but choose to be, for example Blue, the handsome peacock who hangs out to spread his beautiful plumage for the lady hens (hang in there, pal, one day you might get lucky) and the ibis who travel in and out to the sanctuary, to score a free meal and to swap stories with their friends. The feeling of joy is palpable as you walk along the path, as every animal resident (humans too) was thrilled to see my tour guide, Tracey Pirozzi, chuffing at the fence to gain her attention. No animal is ever asked to do anything it doesn't want to do. Every enclosure is arranged to make the animal as comfortable as possible. In fact, enclosures are often customized to the resident to work around any historical triggers they may have. In addition to the opportunity to see these precious animals thriving at their new beginnings, the tour also was extremely educational. I learned so much, as did the others in my tour group. Tracey kept things light and informative, engaging everyone in fun games and quizzes along the way. While fielding questions and engaging us with the animals along the way, Tracey speaks earnestly and passionately about the purpose, about the origins, of Octagon. I shed a few tears (maybe more than a few) when I saw how dear this place is to her heart. And it's easy to see why. Every animal here is given some sort of enrichment, something to keep their mind stimulated, which is critical to their overall well-being, whether it's a large ball that they can push around, a hanging crate of meat that they have to unpuzzle to claim, or a TV to watch their favorite cartoon. And marshmallows! Psst, Tracey, how about another marshamllow, puhhhhleeeeezzzzzz? As a 501(c)(3) nonrprofit organization, Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary depends entirely upon donor support, with no government assistance. As you can imagine, Octagon has a hefty expenditure in just keeping their doors open. Their food bill alone, as you can imagine (we saw one tiger tackle five chickens for breakfast), runs in the tens of thousands of dollars every month. Not only that, but there are no paid jobs here. The facility is managed by a 100% volunteer workforce, and every volunteer we encountered had a huge smile on their face, and a fierce passion upon their brows. We could feel it. The animals could feel it. The guided tour is suited for people of all ages, a terrific way to spend the morning. One little boy in our tour group was so engaged and so spot-on with the answers to Tracey's questions that I'm pretty sure that he'll soon be a tour guide . For Southwest Florida residents or for visitors from out of town, I highly recommend this opportunity to see nature at its best. I give it four paws up. To make your tour extra special, make a reservation for the 9:30am tour on Thursdays, so Tracey can show you this magical place!

Great finds, clothes, furniture, shoes, bags, you name it they have it and great prices, friendly…read moreowners and adorable fur babies!

Just donated quite a bit of furniture there they were very nice and grateful for the donationread more

Great selection of items. I bought my triple dresser there when they had a sale and only paid…read more75.00 for it. Huge selection of tiles, tubs, sinks, dressers, tv's and great furniture. Bought a bag of clothes which is regularly 5.00 for 3.38 again because they had a sale. Terrific bunch of people working there, very helpful and friendly. Will absolutely go there again.

Such a worthy organization, we brought our donation to Habitat this afternoon. Recovering from…read moreHurricane Ian, they've done a notable job repairing, refurbishing and restocking. If you're in the market for used furniture, check 'em out. I saw a number of items I would consider ... and I'm picky about what goes in to my home. Look for discounts. Glassware, fifty cents. Pictures, full price for one, a dollar for the second. Noritake China with plenty of pieces, $150. (The same set on Ebay for $1,000 plus shipping.) Eight cool-looking comfortable kitchen chairs, $10 each. The main reason I thrift is to find unique, often vintage pieces that are hard to replicate. Plus it doesn't hurt to save money and recycle.

Great prestinely kept home furnishings & lighting. not as much clothes or knick knacksread more

Super interesting tour of a working farm that was recommended by a friend. I am amazed we had never…read moreheard of it before - honestly it was so fascinating how they help farmers around the world to learn farming techniques specific to their agricultural needs to combat global hunger. It is a very special place. You have to have a reservation for a tour - this is not a place you just pop into. Highly recommend for a thought provoking afternoon!

What a great stop ! I had heard about this place from a…read morelocal nursery so I decided to stop in. Wonderful tour and tour guide ( Jane). Easy, flat walking tour (or you can ride in their golf cart). Jane was great as a tour guide, with a wealth of knowledge and an easygoing style of sharing information. What an incredible amount of plants here ! While their focus is more on edible plants and plantings, there was more than enough for people interested in colorful or blooming plants and trees. Beautiful setting, like walking through a tropical arboretum, lush and tropical. We were given samples of probably a dozen leaves to eat or smell through our tour. It really opened my eyes to trying to plant a few things that I hadn't considered before. There's also a small gift shop with some unique items as well as a nursery/garden center with some of the many plants that we had seen on our tour. Nice variety and decent prices !