Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary will turn nine this Thanksgiving. The non-profit organization, founded in 2004 by Karen Courtemanche and Annemarie Engelhardt, rescues abused, abandoned or unwanted rabbits and farm animals. According to current director Christine Morrissey, Courtemanche was involved in rescuing rabbits and wanted to expand to a much larger facility to be able to save more animals. They now have a 2.5-acre sanctuary that currently houses over 200 residents.
The animals – rabbits, chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, two pigs, three guinea pigs, Grandma the guinea fowl and a dog named Dexter – each have their own harrowing story to tell. Many were on euthanasia lists at local city animal shelters, while others are from commercial farms that were planning on killing them once they were no longer useful. “We will take them in or do adoptions,” Morrissey says. “We rescue ‘food’ animals most people don’t consider to be rescueable.” This summer, the organization celebrated a huge victory, saving 565 abused spent laying hens in the Central Valley. All were adopted or went to a rescue group.
Morrissey explains they work with rescue groups throughout California up into Washington and also take in animals from cockfighting busts and those abandoned by urban farmers. “Urban farming has become a problem,” she shares. “People want to be more connected to their food sources, and one way to engage this is to raise animals in their backyard. But they don’t realize the amount of work owning a farm animal is and the amount of space they need, so the animals end up unwanted or abandoned.” While the shelter cannot take in more animals as the need outweighs their capacity, they will do courtesy posts on their blog and network for owners who need to surrender their animals.
The organization is publicly funded and relies on donations from “good people” for ninety-nine percent of their funding through campaigns like their PIGs (Partners in Giving) Program, where you can choose an animal to sponsor with a monthly donation. They also hold fundraisers throughout the year like Toast to the Turkey, a humane Thanksgiving celebration featuring an auction, speaker and a vegan buffet. Don’t miss their upcoming Valentine’s Day event in February to sponsor an animal.
Morrissey admits while most of their support comes from people in the Bay Area, they are in a unique position In the Central Valley to educate and extend compassion in a region that is the hub of animal agriculture. Last year alone, Harvest Animal Home rescued more than 1,500 animals. They are always looking for volunteers to help them continue to their mission. By Kimberly Stredney
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary
P.O. Box 998, French Camp
(209) 244-7174
harvesthomesanctuary.org