Baker Acres
Help Us Build a Safe Haven for Animals in Need
My wife and I are working to establish Baker Acres Rescue, a nonprofit animal rescue that will be based in Tennessee. Our mission is to rescue abused, neglected, abandoned, and at-risk animals and give them a safe place to live, recover, and have a second chance.
We will initially focus on rescuing horses, German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and cats. Whenever possible, we would also like to provide a safe retirement for working animals that have spent their lives serving people and are no longer able to work.
Our desire to start this rescue became deeply personal after we rescued a badly abused Shepherd/Malinois mix. Seeing firsthand what an animal can endure through abuse and neglect opened our eyes even further to how many animals need help. We realized that we wanted to do more than save one animal. We want to build a place where we can help as many animals as we can responsibly care for.
100% of proceeds from Shepherd Etching & Engraving go toward the creation of Baker Acres.
This rescue is not something we are simply asking other people to fund. My wife and I are personally committed to making Baker Acres Rescue a reality.
We both work full time, and we are using our own income, personal savings, and extra funds we are able to set aside to help make this project possible. Rather than using those extra funds for other things, we are choosing to put them toward building Baker Acres Rescue.
We also own a small business called Shepherd Etching and Engraving, and we are using our business to help fund the rescue and work toward purchasing the property we need.
Our personal savings, our full-time employment income, our business income, and the sacrifices we are making are all part of our commitment to getting Baker Acres Rescue started.
Purchases made through Shepherd Etching and Engraving help contribute toward our Baker Acres Rescue property fund. If you would like to support the rescue while receiving something in return, purchasing from our small business is another way you can help us move closer to our goal.
We believe that building this rescue should begin with us making a commitment ourselves. We are willing to invest our own money, time, and years of hard work into creating a safe haven for animals that need somewhere to go.
Baker Acres Rescue will be based on a property in Tennessee where we can establish a permanent rescue ranch.
Our immediate goal is to acquire the land needed to get Baker Acres Rescue started. Once the land is acquired, we plan to formally establish Baker Acres Rescue as a nonprofit LLC and begin developing the property into a safe and sustainable rescue facility.
We plan to travel across multiple states to rescue animals in need. This may include animals facing severe neglect, abuse, abandonment, shelter overcrowding, or the possibility of being sent to slaughter.
We would also like to help retired working animals when possible. Animals that have spent their lives working alongside people—whether as working horses, service animals, working dogs, or in other roles—deserve the opportunity to enjoy a safe and peaceful retirement when they can no longer work.
We will take in as many animals as we can safely and responsibly handle. Our goal is not simply to rescue the greatest number of animals possible. Every animal we take in must have the space, food, veterinary care, attention, and safety it needs.
We want to create a place where animals that have been failed by people can finally feel safe.
Our initial fundraising goal is $200,000 to $400,000.
We have identified several potential properties in Tennessee that could provide the foundation for Baker Acres Rescue:
- 209 acres$495,000
- 150 acres$449,000
- 27.4 acres$400,000
This property already has a small house and barn, which could make it an excellent option for getting Baker Acres Rescue started while reducing some of the initial infrastructure that would otherwise need to be established.
- 50 acres$290,000
This property has an older house that would need to be removed, but it also has a creek that could potentially provide an important water source for the property, subject to proper evaluation, permitting, and suitability for our needs.
Each property has different advantages, limitations, and costs. We are evaluating the options based on acreage, usable land, existing structures, water availability, suitability for the animals, and the overall ability to establish a safe and sustainable rescue.
The $200,000 to $400,000 initial fundraising goal is intended to give us the financial foundation needed to pursue the purchase of suitable property. Depending on the property selected, additional funding may be needed to complete the purchase.
We are looking for as much suitable property as we can reasonably acquire because the amount of usable land will directly affect how many animals we can eventually rescue and responsibly care for.
Our goal is to raise as much as possible toward the purchase of suitable property and select the property that provides the best foundation for Baker Acres Rescue.
At this stage, funds raised through this fundraiser will be used strictly toward purchasing the property for Baker Acres Rescue.
Land is our first priority.
We are intentionally keeping the purpose of this initial fundraising campaign simple:
Land first. Rescue operations second.
We are not currently asking for donations to pay for feed, veterinary bills, equipment, fencing, shelters, or other operating expenses. Those needs will come after we have secured the property and are ready to begin establishing the rescue.
We want donors to know exactly what their contributions are helping us accomplish.
In addition to our personal savings and the sacrifices we are making to get Baker Acres Rescue started, my wife and I own a small business called Shepherd Etching and Engraving.
We are using our business to help fund this endeavor as well. Purchases made through Shepherd Etching and Engraving help contribute toward our Baker Acres Rescue property fund.
If you would like to support the rescue while receiving something in return, purchasing from Shepherd Etching and Engraving is another way you can help us work toward our goal.
Every purchase helps us move closer to acquiring the land needed to begin Baker Acres Rescue.
Before we can begin rescuing animals on a larger scale, we need a permanent place for them to go.
The right property will allow us to eventually establish pastures, shelters, secure areas for animals recovering from abuse or neglect, and the infrastructure necessary to operate a responsible rescue.
It will also give retired working animals the space they need to enjoy a safe and peaceful retirement after years of service.
The more suitable acreage we can acquire, the more opportunities we will have to help animals in need.
We are not looking for land simply to have a large ranch for ourselves.
We are looking for land that can become the foundation of Baker Acres Rescue.
My wife and I are committed to making this happen.
I am putting a significant portion of my retirement savings toward this effort. Because of that decision, I will continue working my full-time job rather than retiring anytime soon.
We both continue to work full time, and we are using extra funds from our employment, along with our personal savings, to help fund this project.
We are also using the income from our small business, Shepherd Etching and Engraving, to help fund this endeavor.
We understand that building and operating an animal rescue will require years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication.
We are prepared to make those sacrifices.
We simply need help getting the property that will allow us to begin.
Our initial focus will be horses, German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and cats.
Some animals may have suffered years of neglect.
Some may have been abused.
Some may have been abandoned.
Some may be facing shelter overcrowding.
Some may be at risk of being sent to slaughter.
Others may simply have nowhere else to go.
We also hope to help retired working animals when we have the space and resources to do so. After years of serving people, these animals deserve the opportunity to spend their retirement in a safe, comfortable environment.
We want to give these animals a safe place.
A horse that has been neglected deserves a safe pasture.
A retired working horse deserves a peaceful retirement.
A German Shepherd or Malinois that has been abused deserves a chance to heal.
A retired working dog deserves a safe place to enjoy life after years of service.
A cat that has been abandoned deserves food, shelter, veterinary care, and affection.
An older animal deserves somewhere safe to live out the remainder of its life.
Some animals may eventually be adopted into loving homes when that is appropriate.
Others may remain at Baker Acres Rescue for the rest of their lives.
Either way, they will have a place to call home.
Our dream is to build more than a ranch.
We want to create a permanent safe haven for animals that have nowhere else to go.
We want Baker Acres Rescue to become a place where animals can recover from their past, enjoy their retirement, and live without fear of abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
We know that we cannot save every animal.
But if we can save one, that matters.
If we can save ten, that matters.
If we can eventually save hundreds of animals over the years, that matters.
Every life we are able to save will be worth the effort.
Our initial fundraising goal is $200,000 to $400,000 toward purchasing the property for Baker Acres Rescue.
We have identified several potential properties ranging from 27.4 acres to 209 acres, with asking prices ranging from $290,000 to $495,000.
The final property we acquire will depend on fundraising, negotiations, due diligence, property suitability, available infrastructure, water availability, and other factors involved in purchasing the land.
We want to be completely transparent that reaching our initial $200,000 to $400,000 goal does not guarantee the purchase of any particular property. Our goal is to raise enough funding to put us in a position to acquire suitable property and begin Baker Acres Rescue.
Once the property has been acquired, we plan to establish Baker Acres Rescue as a nonprofit LLC and begin the next phase of developing the rescue.
Every donation, regardless of size, brings us closer.
If you can donate $10, $25, $50, $100, or more, you are helping us take another step toward making this rescue a reality.
If you cannot donate, sharing this fundraiser can be just as valuable.
You may know someone who loves horses.
Someone who has rescued a German Shepherd.
Someone who has owned a Malinois.
Someone who loves cats.
Someone who believes retired working animals deserve a peaceful retirement.
Or someone who simply believes that animals deserve better.
Please help us reach those people.
This is the beginning of something we hope will last for generations.
Our goal is to turn a piece of Tennessee into a safe place for animals that have been abused, neglected, abandoned, sent toward slaughter, or simply forgotten—and a peaceful retirement home for working animals when we are able to help them.
We are ready to put in the work.
We are ready to make the sacrifices.
We are ready to travel to rescue animals in need.
We are ready to build Baker Acres Rescue one step at a time.
We just need help getting the land that will allow us to begin.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
Thank you for supporting Baker Acres Rescue.
And thank you for helping us give animals a second chance.