4Them Sanctuary is Woman Owned, and our Board is 100% Women and/or Queer Operated!

At the sanctuary, we try to present ourselves not only as a safe place for animals, but also as a safe place for queer people, POC, and anyone else that needs somewhere where they feel comfortable being themselves.

In order to maintain this safe environment, we are adamant about placing individuals of these groups in positions of power. 100% of our board of directors, the ones who make all of the important decisions, are either queer or women, or both!

Leslie Naylor, Our Founder

"How do I begin to sum up the last 4 years of this Sanctuary life? I got here because after going vegan, my desire to rescue farm animals began to consume my dreams. I had already been rescuing cats and dogs for years but the enlightenment of going vegan opened up that awareness to include farm animals.

I almost left TN when my daughter left to go to school. I just happened to see an article about Dudley and the Gentle Barn and they were coming to TN to open a location a mere 20 minutes from where I was living. I knew without a doubt I had to volunteer and meet this Dudley. To sum it up, he changed my life. He made me such a better person and helped me deal with a huge upset in my life. He is the reason I have devoted the rest of my life to rescuing farm animals.
He also brought me a family that I will love forever.

This is the absolute hardest work I've ever done in my life but I'm thankful I'm able to do it and I greatly appreciate the people who help me take care of these precious beings.

Not only do we rescue animals here but I wanted 4Them to also be a Sanctuary for people as well. A safe place to come and not be judged on race, gender, and most especially, who you love! I will always protect the animals and the humans that have joined my family until the day I die."

Meet Our Board Members!

Susanne Whiting (She/Her)

Susanne has been with 4Them since the beginning in December 2018. She has spent a lot of time on the farm helping rescue and rehabilitate many of our residents. Family responsibility took Susanne and her wife, Jody, away from Tennessee, but she was able to stay on the board and still does a lot of the Sanctuarys Facebook presence. It helps her feel close to the fighting spirits and resilience of the babies and humans of 4Them. The residents and volunteers inspire her every day and have been lifesavers as she deals with ongoing health challenges of her own. She dreams of the day she will be reunited with her 4THEM family.

Kaysn Kile (They/Them)

Kaysn is a queer vegan artist, entrepreneur, and activist who started volunteering at 4them sanctuary in late 2019 and became a 4them board member in November 2020. Kaysn helps out with online presence, does some handy work around the sanctuary, shows up in person once a week with their spouse, and fellow board member, Wesley to assist in feeding dinner, and is our lead in creative ideas to help the sanctuary grow!

Wesley Kile (They/He)

That's me! I worked on this website and the sanctuarys Patreon. I love this sanctuary, its residents, and Leslie Naylor with so much of my heart. I also enjoy getting my hands dirty whenever I'm needed. I’ve been volunteering since late 2019 and a member of the board since November 2020. I show up once a week to help feed dinner.

Some other fun facts about me;

I'm married to Kaysn.

I love playing video games.