One young man who’d been coming out to the farm for about five years had never spoken a word during that time. “I assumed he was completely nonverbal,” Bots said. “One day, as he was leaving, he got up from the bench and the cat, Ronald Weasley, was sitting on his lap when he got up, he gently put the cat down on the ground and said, ‘Goodbye, Ron. I love you.’ I was moved to tears, and so were many of the caregivers.”

Another young student visitor had punched a hole in a wall earlier in the day. Upon arrival at the farm, Earl Grey, the donkey, went up and rested his head in the student’s lap for about 45 minutes of animal therapy. 

Recently, some families from Silver Rail Elementary School were hosted for a pumpkin-carving event.

During the 2025 Flat Fire, sanctuary workers helped move 150 animals off of different properties to safety. The nonprofit currently has about 55 volunteers, according to Leadership Team member Jen Orlando. Every single day, morning and afternoon, volunteer crews of three to six people spend 2-3 hours feeding the animals and cleaning the grounds.

Heart of Oregon Corps YouthBuild comes out to build climbing structures for the animals. Vet techs from Central Oregon Community College come out to the farm to learn how to and practice trimming hooves and performing other animal tasks. And because rescued farm animals live a lot longer than typical farm animals that are often slaughtered, students and local veterinarians alike have the opportunity to learn more about the care of older animals.

Bots and Orlando agree that Central Oregon Gives is the sanctuary’s most significant annual fundraiser. 

On a recent Saturday morning, 11-year-old Zach Johnson and his mother were volunteering — feeding and bonding with the animals. “I like getting out in nature and I really like Earl Grey, the donkey,” says Johnson, who is the farm’s youngest volunteer. He and his mom, Betty Sutton, have been volunteering at the farm since early last spring.

Bots and her family of volunteers are especially proud of having recently earned accreditation with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, a huge deal. Orlando says it was an 18-month process and that Harmony Farm is the only animal sanctuary in Oregon that has earned the prestigious distinction.

From what this visitor observed, all the animals are mannerly and super smart. Bots says they all know their names, even the chickens. Some of the animals have even learned how to unlatch certain gates, so security chains have to be added. 

Although there is no universal agreement among animal experts, pigs are often ranked in the Top Five intelligent species of animals. “Pigs are like a four-year-old on steroids,” says Bots. “They’re fun and they’re smart.”