A Lifetime of Quiet Love Building to This Moment
From One Dog Named Tweetie to a Sanctuary Built on Love
It started in the 1970s with a scrappy little dog named Tweetie — and a gentle giant named Big Max. JoAnn and John had no grand plan the day they brought those first two home, just the simple conviction that every animal deserved to be wanted. That conviction never left them.
Over the decades that followed, they opened their hearts to the old ones, the sick ones, the ones nobody else would take. They watched as shelters turned away senior residents. They saw horses sent to slaughter when they could no longer work. And quietly, steadily, they made a promise: one day, they would build a place where these animals could simply rest.
In the 1980s, they purchased land in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and named it Tortoise Hare Farm — inspired by the Aesop fable about patience, persistence, and the quiet triumph of steady love over haste. For decades, the farm waited alongside them. Now, that vision is becoming reality.
Tortoise Hare Farm Sanctuary is not a rescue. It is not an adoption center. It is something rarer and more needed: a permanent, loving home for residents in the final chapter of their lives. For every creature the system has written off, Tortoise Hare Farm Sanctuary writes a different ending — one defined by warmth, dignity, and the simple gift of being wanted.
A Story That Began Long Before the Sanctuary
Tortoise & Hare Farm Sanctuary is more than a place. It is the realization of a lifelong promise.
For JoAnn, caring for animals was never a phase. It was simply part of who she was. Growing up on a farm, animals were always present, woven into daily life and into the fabric of the family itself.
But the deeper vision for this sanctuary did not begin with JoAnn alone. It began with John.
The Beginning of a Shared Life with Animals
From the very start of their relationship, animals were always part of their world. On their first Easter together, John gave JoAnn not a bunny, but a guinea pig, though she wasn't entirely sure what a guinea pig was at the time. It was a small, slightly unconventional gesture that quietly set the tone for everything that followed.
Not long after, their first dogs, Tweetie and Big Max, became part of their family. Both were rescues, coming from places where they hadn't always been as cared for as they should have been, and in John and JoAnn they found a home where they were deeply loved. It was the beginning of a pattern. Over time, their life together would not only include animals, but continue to center around taking in those who needed a second chance.
From that point on, there was never a time without animals. Dogs, small animals, and eventually larger ones were always part of their world. It was simply how they lived.
The Farm and the Vision
When they eventually purchased their farm, the vision began to take shape. With open land around them, animals naturally became part of the environment. Neighbors brought cows and horses, and the land itself seemed to invite life.
It was during this time that the idea became clear. One day, this would become a sanctuary. Not just a place for animals to live, but a place where they could stay safely for life. John believed this deeply. The sanctuary was his idea first, a vision of what the land could become when the time was right.
Tortoise & Hare: A Reflection of Who They Were
The name Tortoise & Hare is not just symbolic. It is personal.
John was the tortoise, thoughtful, steady, and analytical. JoAnn was the hare, energetic, intuitive, and ready to act. Different in nature, but aligned in purpose, they built a life grounded in compassion, patience, and care. These are the same values that now shape the sanctuary.
Bringing the Vision to Life
After years of caring for animals and recognizing a growing need, JoAnn is now bringing that shared vision into reality. Tortoise & Hare Farm Sanctuary is being created as a permanent, peaceful refuge for animals who need a place to belong, especially those who cannot be rehomed or returned.
This is not a temporary stop. It is a lifelong home.
A Living Legacy
This sanctuary is more than a project. It is a continuation of a life built together.
It reflects a deep love for animals, for the land, and for the belief that every life deserves care and dignity. In many ways, it is still guided by the same vision that started it all.
Mission & Vision
Our Mission
Tortoise Hare Farm Sanctuary provides a safe, permanent, and loving home for senior, special-needs, and otherwise unadoptable animals, offering them dignity, comfort, and compassion for the rest of their natural lives.
Our Vision
A world where no animal is discarded because of age, illness, or circumstance; where every creature's final chapter is written with love.
Our Core Values
Compassion First
Every decision begins with empathy, for the residents in our care and the people who make it possible.
Permanent Sanctuary
We do not rehome. Every resident who arrives is here for the rest of their life. That is our promise.
Dignity in Every Stage
Quality of life is our highest priority, whether days or decades remain. Every resident deserves comfort and joy.
Radical Inclusion
We welcome residents others have given up on: feral, FeLV-positive, geriatric, and those with complex special needs.
Transparency & Trust
Our supporters deserve to see exactly where their generosity goes. We share openly and honestly.
Community Partnership
We grow alongside our neighbors; veterinarians, local rescues, volunteers, schools, and families.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Decades of Quiet Determination
Every sanctuary is built on a thousand small decisions. Here are the milestones that shaped ours.
Tweetie & Big Max
JoAnn and John rescue their first dogs, setting a lifelong commitment in motion.
The Farm Is Founded
JoAnn and John purchase land in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and name it Tortoise Hare Farm.
A Living Promise
The farm becomes home to dozens of animals others have turned away — a sanctuary in practice before it carries the name.
Building the Vision
Tortoise Hare Farm Sanctuary begins formal organization, 501(c)(3) registration, and facility planning.
Opening Our Doors
Construction begins. The sanctuary prepares to welcome its first official residents.
READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE