'Dream come true': Tiny Paws Sanctuary set to receive record donations

CHURCH HILL — For the first time after nearly 20 years of caring for elderly and disabled pets, Jamie Farris and Haseleah Fraysier were considering closing their Tiny Paws Sanctuary.The veterinary bills — $22,000 so far this year because of unexpected illnesses — seemed insurmountable.But in early October, they received news the pair described as life-changing. Tiny Paws Sanctuary had been chosen as the recipient of a fundraiser by the 100+ Tri-Cities Women Who Care.This giving circle, a chapter in a national organization, organizes donations for nonprofits in events known as Big Gives. Chapter members each donate an amount of their choosing — usually around $100-200, according to the chapter's website — which is then matched 50% by an anonymous foundation partner.An individual does not have to be affiliated with Women Who Care to donate in the Big Give, which will run until the end of October. The chapter's website said its goal is to raise $15,000.Farris and Fraysier couldn't help but smile as they recalled the moment they learned that Tiny Paws had been randomly chosen for the Big Give, out of various nominations. Farris said she rarely answers the phone if she doesn't know who's calling.But the random call she happened to take turned out to be a coordinator from the local chapter of Women Who Care."The more she talked, the more excited we got," Farris said. "We were like, this is going to save our sanctuary."Farris said that while the costs of running Tiny Paws — from medical bills to food purchases — are always high, she and Fraysier have been careful to only take in as many animals as they can afford. Donations and fundraisers have been enough to keep the nonprofit afloat in past years.This year however, Teddy — a little cream-colored dog who had been abandoned by his previous owners — had to have ACL surgery. Brody, a tan chihuahua who was a stray, had a two-week stint in the hospital after a spider bit him. Donations have decreased."We were going to close down, we were trying to figure out what to do," Farris said. "[The Big Give] is going to save it. It's a dream come true and an answer to prayers."About the sanctuaryFarris said the sanctuary started with her and Fraysier caring for two diabetic pets that a shelter called them about. She said they've focused on special needs animals since 2017. For regular people, Fraysier said, these pets are unadoptable — especially when there's already an over-abundance of healthy animals who need homes."If it's expenses that most people don't want to incur, that's where we step in," Farris said.They get calls from local shelters and members of the public about disabled, abused or otherwise unfortunate pets. Some people drop animals off at Tiny Paws without notice to Farris and Fraysier, who then have to care for them. The pair also feed a colony of stray cats.Including the strays, there are around 20 cats, 12 dogs, 20 chickens, two goats, a rabbit and a guinea pig at the sanctuary. Farris said she can't even guess how many pets they've had over the years, as many were hospice-age animals.Dosha, a little deaf dog, is in hospice care herself. She was found on the streets of Kingsport with matted fur. Petworks Animal Services asked Tiny Paws to care for Dosha, and the pair medicates her for congestive heart failure.Dosha loves being outside, Fraysier said, swaddled in her caretakers' arms. Onyx — a blind, arthritic black chihuahua with hypothyroidism — gets the same swaddle treatment. At 15 years old, she is Tiny Paws' oldest animal resident. She came from a puppy mill.The cats with more severe health issues live inside, but the ones who were dropped off tend to roam the property outdoors. They're far from feral, quick to sit in a stranger's lap and purr.Sonoma, and her kitten, Kiwi — both with light gray coats — previously belonged to a homeless woman living in a chicken coop. Sonoma has no teeth, but is otherwise fine. Maisey, a tortoiseshell cat who is missing the tip of her left ear, has a neurological problem that gives her a permanent head tilt. Black cat Ziggy has a deviated septum, making it hard to breathe some days.Poppy, an orange tabby, was abused as a kitten. Farris said Poppy's owners would shoot BB pellets at her. Nowadays, Poppy can become hostile when over-stimulated, but is largely a sweet cat.Days at the sanctuary begin at 6 a.m. with breakfast. Then, Farris and Fraysier clean, which the former said takes quite a while. Around noon, it's time for lunch, and then a nap, and then dinner. Farris and Fraysier said they go to bed around 8 p.m., and the animals follow suit.Throughout October, Fraysier makes and sells apple butter for $5 a half-pint. She said she grew up with homemade apple butter, as her mother was a canner. Fraysier makes strawberry, blueberry and blackberry jams for spring fundraisers. Tiny Paws also sells the eggs their chickens lay, and has an eBay store of assorted items.For more information on Tiny Paws Sanctuary, visit its website or call 423-609-2693 during business hours.Donations for the Big Give can be made through the Tri-Cities Women Who Care website or by sending a check to Tiny Paws Sanctuary at 109 Pine St., Church Hill, TN 37642. The check should include mention of the Big Give fundraiser to receive the 50% match.