[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 204 (Tuesday, January 3, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1367-E1368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING HARVEST HOME ANIMAL SANCTUARY'S LIFESAVING ANIMAL RESCUE 
        EFFORTS AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING COMPASSIONATE CHANGE

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                          HON. JERRY McNERNEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 3, 2023

  Mr. McNERNEY. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing an extraordinary organization in California's 9th 
Congressional District. Since its founding in 2004, Harvest Home Animal 
Sanctuary, located in Stockton, California, has been a beacon of light 
for animals in need. Over the past 18 years, they have worked 
tirelessly to provide life-long care for abused and neglected animals--
rehabilitating them both physically and psychologically and, if 
possible, finding appropriate homes for them. To date, Harvest Home 
Animal Sanctuary has rescued over 10,000 animals who, in turn, have 
become the catalyst for an important dialogue about compassion in our 
community.
  The story of Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary began when co-founder 
Karen Courtemanche saw an online ad for free rabbits and ended up 
walking into a horrific and life-altering scene. Upon arrival at the 
listed home address, Karen found nearly 50 malnourished and filthy 
rabbits surrounded by garbage, waste, and the remains of other deceased 
rabbits. While she was only able to rescue one rabbit that day, Karen 
wasted no time alerting the authorities to this horrendous abuse. 
Following the homeowner's arrest, the rabbits were removed and placed 
in a shelter where Karen and others visited until they were medically 
cleared. But rather than being put up for adoption, the rabbits were 
scheduled to be euthanized, spurring Karen to spring into action. She 
immediately retrieved them all and brought them to her small home in 
the East Bay, but as she began to try to find these rabbits loving 
homes, only one rabbit was adopted. That's when Karen discovered her 
new mission: to help these rabbits and other unwanted and abused 
animals. She soon sold her house and purchased two acres of land to 
create a sanctuary that would not only serve as a home for rescued 
animals, but would also become a teaching tool for members of our 
community.
  In an effort to prevent cruelty to animals, Harvest Home Animal 
Sanctuary educates the public on caring for companion animals as well 
as on issues concerning farmed animals and many widespread practices 
that result in their inhumane treatment and living conditions. They 
regularly host animal-centered literacy activities, humane animal care 
workshops, and discussions on farm animal awareness topics. 
Additionally, they partner with local libraries to hold events such as 
the Rescue Readers Club, a program where children read to rescue 
animals--an engaging way of embracing both compassion and literacy. 
Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary also partners with school districts and 
youth organizations to hold Compassionate Classrooms Programs, 
providing free in-person and virtual educational presentations on the 
topics of humane care and animal welfare that help bolster kindness and 
compassion for animals. The sanctuary is open to members of the public, 
who are invited to take

[[Page E1368]]

tours of the facilities and participate in activities--giving visitors 
the opportunity to directly connect with rescued animals on a personal 
level. At the core of Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary's work is the 
fundamental principle that all living creatures deserve to be treated 
with compassion and kindness--people and animals alike. Their work 
focuses on educating the public on the common ground shared between 
animals and people. This speaks directly to Karen's life's work, as she 
previously spent over 40 years working in education, with a focus on 
teaching children with disabilities. Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary's 
educational efforts aim to help people understand how animals are being 
treated and how we as individuals can make positive change for the 
betterment of our animal neighbors.
  In addition to their educational and outreach efforts, when Harvest 
Home Animal Sanctuary is informed of cases of cruelty and neglect, they 
quickly mobilize to help. Through their work in the community, they 
have built strong partnerships with other animal welfare organizations, 
law enforcement agencies, animal services, and local governments, which 
has enabled them to continue their work supporting and rescuing animals 
in need--including in some large-scale relief efforts in our region and 
across the country. Karen and Christine Morrissey, who has served for 
years as the organization's Executive Director, have played a key role 
in many successful rescue operations. Christine, along with Harvest 
Home Animal Sanctuary's staff and volunteers, was instrumental in the 
removal of 1,500 hens from a factory farm where the birds were living 
in an overcrowded and highly unsanitary environment. They also helped 
lead the efforts to shut down a local rooster fighting ring and rescue 
the surviving birds. And when the owner of an egg factory farm 
abandoned 50,000 chickens, a third of whom were unfortunately deceased 
when help arrived, they were a central part of the rescue efforts to 
save the surviving chickens. Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary was also 
part of a lawsuit against the egg factory farm managers that resulted 
in their permanent ban from any future work with animals. From local 
shelters to farms to animal research labs to slaughterhouses, no rescue 
is too big or too small for this dedicated and committed organization. 
My Chief of Staff, Nicole Damasco, has called on Harvest Home Animal 
Sanctuary many times to help rescue and find homes for animals in 
distress, and they have stepped up time and again.
  A nonprofit powered almost entirely by donations from individuals, 
Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary is home to 200 animals, with a wide range 
of species calling the sanctuary home, including goats, potbellied 
pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, guinea fowl, pigeons, guinea pigs, 
rabbits and more. They are also an official sanctuary for the House 
Rabbit Society--an international rabbit advocacy and rescue 
organization--and feature a specially constructed, temperature-
controlled enclosed rabbit habitat on their grounds.
  Thanks to outstanding individuals like Karen Courtemanche, Christine 
Morrissey, and the rest of the staff and volunteers at Harvest Home 
Animal Sanctuary, the lives of countless animals and people have been 
positively impacted and forever changed, Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary 
is not only providing lifesaving services and a safe haven for animals 
in need, they are also building a bridge for compassionate change. 
Members of our community, both animals and people, are made better by 
their invaluable work and dedication. For all they have done and will 
continue to do, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Harvest 
Home Animal Sanctuary.

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