[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 11, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E503-E504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN HONOR OF KEN WHITE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2021

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker I rise today to recognize Ken White, the 
recently retired Executive Director of the Peninsula Humane Society. As 
Mr. White noted, he was retiring on his 469th birthday, as measured in 
dog years. He joined the Peninsula Humane Society in 2002 and his 
successes at this organization have been historic for this beloved 
organization.
  Upon his arrival, Ken White and the Peninsula Humane Society 
guaranteed a home to every adoptable dog or cat in their care, a 
promise they have kept ever since. In 2003 the organization expanded 
its promise to include as many ill and injured and behaviorally 
challenged pets as possible. In 2005, the Humane Society purchased a 
mobile veterinary clinic and provided spay/neutering surgeries for 
animals in some of the most underserved communities in the county.
  More than 22,000 households contribute to the work of the Peninsula 
Humane Society. The euthanasia rate has decreased 98 percent since 
1970. 1200 volunteers allow PHS to function as an integral part of our 
community.
  In 2006, Ken and his board bought an old Burlingame warehouse. 
Through a major gift and the loving care of volunteers, they were able 
to open this facility as the Center for Compassion to house charitably 
funded programs through state-of-the-art facilities. The progress is 
amazing. When Ken arrived in our community, the percentage of animals 
released live back into the community was 53 percent. Today, it is 89 
percent. There are tens of thousands of peninsula animals who found 
their forever-home thanks to the kind heart and amazing fundraising 
talents of Ken White.
  Not content to be an over-achieving humane organization, Ken, his 
board, employees and volunteers have set a reach goal. The organization 
now owns 260 acres of land in San Mateo County which will be turned 
into an animal sanctuary. It will be the first in our nation owned and 
operated by a humane society.
  Ken has seen a tortoise survive being driven over by a vehicle, and 
today that tortoise thrives as Ken's pet. He watched a falcon be 
released into the wild after severe injuries were healed. Reptiles have 
been visitors to his home. He and his apparently patient wife, Carolyn 
Crane, have also taken in a pot-bellied pig and an Argentinian homed 
frog. If there was a wild party at Ken's home and the noise ever got to 
be too much, I'm sure there was always a pet or two that was more than 
willing to lay down the law to Ken.
  Ken White got into the business of running animal shelters from an 
unusual background. He holds a Master's Degree in creative writing. 
After a series of jobs, he was eventually invited to create educational 
materials for a local shelter. As a child he was never allowed to own a 
pet, but then as a young man he was suddenly surrounded by animals. It 
was love at first sight.
  As he leaves his longtime position, he goes out on a national high 
note. The 260 acre sanctuary in the San Mateo County mountains

[[Page E504]]

will be for medically or behaviorally challenged dogs and cats with low 
adoption rates. This facility will be a huge step forward for those 
that are able to live out a full life, but without troublesome humans 
and their nitpicking rules as preconditions. So goes the dream of San 
Mateo County's Dr. Doolittle, the man who talks to our animals. I have 
long admired Ken White for his ingenuity and can-do spirit. The San 
Mateo community and I wish him well as he leaves his avid fans, of all 
breeds, behind. Undoubtedly there's a movie about Ken that will someday 
be released on Netflix: Ken White: Lifesaver, Tortoise Daddy and Snake 
Whisperer. Watch for it, streaming soon.

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