We Didn't Plan
to Start a Sanctuary

Tracy and Shad Nichols left Utah and drove across the country to 32 acres in Riceville, Tennessee — McMinn County, tucked in the hills of East Tennessee. They weren't looking to build a sanctuary. They were looking for a different life. They found it.

A cow who had nowhere to go. Then a horse. Then donkeys. Each one arrived with a story — neglect, circumstance, or simply a family that couldn't keep them. Tracy and Shad said yes every time. Not because they had a plan, but because the animals needed them to.

At some point the number stopped mattering. What mattered was the promise: once an animal arrives at Soft Landing, they never have to leave. No rehoming. No returns. No deadlines. This is their home for the rest of their life, no matter what.

The IRS recognized what Tracy and Shad had been doing all along: Soft Landing Animal Sanctuary became a federally recognized 501(c)(3) public charity. Every dollar donated is now tax-deductible — and every dollar goes directly to the animals.

52 permanent residents. Every species. Every story. The sanctuary runs every day — feeding, care, fence repair, veterinary visits — fueled largely by Shad's full-time paycheck and the generosity of people like you. That is what we are working to change.