Its feeding time, and the animals are restless. “Come on Daisy! Come here, girl.” Laurie Zaleski attempts to lure the massive pig with fresh produce. At over 1200 pounds, Daisy shuffles and snorts her way to Laurie’s outstretched hand and practically inhales the fresh watermelon, juices dribbling down her pink chin. Daisy is one of over 150 animals that reside at The Funny Farm Animal Rescue in Mays Landing. Since 2001, Ms. Zaleski has provided a sanctuary for unwanted, abused or neglected animals of all kinds.

Nestled on 15 beautiful acres of land, the Funny Farm houses everything from an emu to colorful pea-cocks. T-Bone, a red steer, was supposed to be slaughtered, but his owners

couldn’t go through with their dinner plan. They couldn’t afford to keep him, either. Her mother re-jected LuLu, a cockatiel, after being born with one deformed foot and completely missing the other foot. Fiona, a goat, sports a bonnet to cover her missing ears. These unwanted, sick, elderly, injured and abused animals are among about 200 creatures cared for at the Funny Farm. The farm was intended, in 2000, to be a gift from Zaleski to her mother who had rented a house with some land for 28 years and always wanted a farm of her own. Zaleski’s mother, who worked for animal control, had always called her rented property the Funny Farm because she took in unwanted and hurt animals that were going to be euthanized. “When I bought the new property for her, of course the name had to be Funny Farm Rescue and Sanc-

tuary.” said Zaleski. “Well, she died two weeks before I made settlement, so her dream quickly became my dream.” Alpacas, birds, bunnies, cats, chickens, dogs, donkeys, ducks, emu, geese, goats, guinea hens, horses, peacocks, pigs, tur-keys and waterfowl are free to roam the pastures. “Domestic and exotic animals can live out their natural lives in a happy, safe and protected home. They all get along like broth-ers and sisters at the Funny Farm,” said Zaleski. That includes inside Zaleski’s house where a baby skunk, Flower, cuddles with Camilla, a kitten, between the legs of Fred, a labradoodle, who has become the nanny of the youngsters who lost their mothers. Flower’s mother was killed by a car. Zale-ski bottle-fed him goat’s milk every few hours until he could eat on his own. Fiona the goat had her ears bitten off by a dog. With a monthly food bill exceeding $2,000, Funny Farm has been supported by donations of time and money. She made a “high chair” to keep an unwanted three-month-old German Shepherd puppy upright so he can keep his food down. Because of a con-genital condition called a mega esophagus, the dog constantly upchucked, hence his name Chucky. “He’s a beautiful dog,” Zaleski said. Chucky has to sit upright in his high chair for 30 minutes after a meal of pureed food.

“Animals deserve a safe place where they can live out their natural lives,” she said.

Funny Farm Rescue: A Safe Place For Animals

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The County Woman Magazine January/February 2016www.TheCountyWoman.com

Socks and the kids

Visit www.FunnyFarmRescue.orgTbone and Laurie

Top: Funny Farm volunteers

Above: Fiona and Sister Ears

At left: Chucky lounging in his chair!

To donate to the Funny Farm Rescue, fill out the below information and mail to:

Funny Farm Rescue 6908 RailRoad Blvd., Mays Landing, NJ 08330.

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