Help Us Support Our Rescued Friends

FUNDRAISER IS ONGOING UNTIL THE GOAL IS MET!

Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii! My name is Rachel (see smiling farmer photo!) and I am reaching out for support with our crew of 2&4-leggers! We are a small animal sanctuary on the Big Island, Hawaii, Tiny Paradise Acres (soon to be a non-profit).

My wife (cover photo with our dog, Danny) and I are proud mommies to a fiesty mini-horse named BB, a small affectionate donkey named Ollie, 2 miniature goats (Max and Daisy), 3 beautiful Rhode Island Red Hens (Rosy, Lucy, and Clementine...and eggs), and...6 dogs! Our dogs are small to big, young to old, and every color in between.

With the exception of 1, each of these animals was rescued from challenging situations and brought to our loving home, now a small farm in Hawaii. Our rescues that we had on the mainland, before moving to the Big Island over a year ago, were flown to Hawaii on a massive livestock transporter that my wife and I fondly referred to as "Noah's Ark".

Their stories include rescuing BB the mini horse from a kill shelter in Lancaster, PA, adopting Ollie the donkey from a remote farm that kept him isolated and without proper food, finding Jake the little black and brown dog on a farm in Florida (he was so small due to lack of nutrition that he could fit in my pocket!), putting Brad (the big brown dog) in the back seat of our car after seeing him emaciated on the side of a busy road by a laundromat in Hawaii, rescuing Sidney (she is the spotted large dog) from a farm in Hawaii where she was left to fend for herself...she hasn't stopped eating since we rescued her!

Boy Boy, our senior black Chihuahua, was rescued from a house where he was without food/water and any way to properly go potty outside. Danny, the dog Sue's holding, was rejected by his owners, because he was the wrong breed; as a result, he has extreme separation anxiety and needs constant reassurance.

Our goats, Daisy and Max (mother and son) were tied to a fence all day long. Now, they run and play freely under rainbows and blue skies in our back pasture in Hawaii. The hens, our Dixie Chicks, were free roaming and at risk of harm by menacing mongooses here on the island. Now, they have safe engagement and a secure run-in and coop to prevent any tragic losses.

CoCo, nicknamed "CoCo Bean or CoConut", is our only non-rescue. She's pictured in her favorite pink sweater. Yes, it does get cold in Hawaii!

We welcomed all with a loving embrace, warm kisses, comfortable digs, and plenty of treats! My wife and I have a human son, but these animals are our children, too. We are blessed to have them all, human and animal alike. They are our ohana (family in Hawaiian) and their resilience is epic.

We are asking for your donations to help with the cost of feeding and caring for them (our ohana). We match your donations with our personal funds to meet our goals as a small animal sanctuary.

Animal feed on the island is expensive. As some examples, a bale of hay on the island is $55 and we require at least 2 bales/week plus alfalfa cubes at $30/bag/2 weeks. Chicken layer feed is approx. $30/bag/month, cracked corn on the island is about $25/bag/month, $180/month for farrier costs, and vet care is regular and pretty costly on the island (especially with our 2 senior dogs (CoCo and Boy Boy).

Our sole purpose for raising funds is to help our animals. We have an annual fundraising goal of $2500 for their ongoing care and to keep our loving, furry (and feathered) family intact!

We always try to do our best and hope that you can help us achieve our fundraising goals!

MAHALO (thanks in Hawaiian)!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. Why did you move to Hawaii? Isn't it really expensive there?

We moved to Hawaii after experiencing a natural disaster and substantial losses as a result. After this experience, we packed a horse trailer with our animals and 6 suitcases, headed West, and flew here from California. We absolutely LOVE it in Hawaii!

The Big Island is the least expensive island to live on in the chain. We live in about a 400 square foot home and on about 1/4 acre in a really rural area. We grow a lot of our own food and live frugally. We use big chain stores like Walmart (I know...Walmart) to purchase necessities and their prices are comparable to the mainland. We also support local businesses and other farmers on the island by buying their products. (Important to note: By helping us, you also help other farmers on the Big Island.)

2. Will you be able to sustain your animals' care for the long haul?

Yes. Moving forward, we will be working with different farming organizations on the island to create a sustainable business plan for our farm that includes the needs of all of our animals. There are lots of resources for island farmers, but recent government cuts impact what's now available. However, we will continue to seek and use other island farmers' knowledge, experience, and skills to move our farming and animal rescue initiatives forward.

3. What are your long-term goals?

We plan (within the next 3 months) to establish our farm as a non-profit animal sanctuary and micro-farm, "Tiny Paradise Acres". We started this work in Florida but hit the "pause" button after the natural disaster. Once we are a non-profit, we hope to support our work through your generous donations combined with our own hard work. There is a TREMENDOUS need to help abandoned, orphaned, and abused farm and domestic animals here on the islands.

We are also in the process of purchasing 5 acres to expand our farming and animal sanctuary. Once we have more space, we hope to adopt at least 2 more farm animals, most likely miniature horses.

We want to be a part of the solution instead of the problem! We work diligently and gratefully to that end. Farming and animal rescue is a soulful endeavor, and we are very fulfilled doing this work. When you help an animal in need, the look in their eyes is unforgettable!

LEVELS OF GIVING:

The "Egg and Chick" Level

(Without the egg, you don't have the chick, without the chick, you don't have the hen! Hatch your donation today! Even the small ones count!)

$5, $10

-Buys dewormer

-Buys a bag of apples or carrots

-Buys rice to make homemade dog food

-Buys cans of dog food for the senior dogs

-Buys a new collar for Brad, the big brown dog!

The "Kool Kid" Level

(A kid is a baby goat. Max, Daisy's son, was a baby goat when we rescued him. What a cutie! Donate to be the next Kool Kid!)

$15, $20

-Typically, buys smaller bags of feed for any of the animals

-Buys animal supplies such as halters, leads, blankets, buckets

-Buys grooming supplies for any of the animals

-Buys some OC medications and wellness supplies for the animals

The "Barnyard Buddy" Level

(Our animals are all bonded to each other. They can't be separated without creating much distress. Donate to be a Barnyard Buddy, too!)

$25, $50

-Typically, buys larger bags of animal feed for any of the animals

-Buys a bale of straw or hay

-Buys more expensive prescription medications and animals care supplies

The "Big Island Kahuna" Level

(Kahuna is Hawaiian for priest, but we know what is means in slang! Surf your donation across the Pacific today!)

$100 and above

-Helps pay for emergency and regular vet visits

-Helps pay for regular farrier visits

-Helps pay any of the above supplies in bulk!

MAHALO for any donation, big or small!