Many people who love cute little baby pigs are mislead hearing terms like “teacup pig” or “mini” pig. There’s no such thing. Juliet’s family overfed her far beyond her 250lb ideal weight. When she reached 450lbs, they begged the Funny Farm to take her. She was immediately put on a diet and has since shed 150lbs giving her much more energy. Now she lives an amazing life living in the Pig Village at the Funny Farm Rescue.
She’s gorgeous, a Moluccan cockatoo with ivory plumage and satiny, coral-colored crest feathers that are almost flamingo pink on the underside. Like many birds of her kind, she was adopted and rejected, several times before finding a home at the Funny Farm. Her former owners found her too demanding, too destructive, and too loud, with a high-pitched cry that can sound like a fire alarm. Nikki was only six years old, when she came to the Funny Farm. She doesn’t have many language skills (or more correctly, language-mimicking skills). She says “hello” in the most beguiling way, in a voice like Mae West’s. She also has learned to say the names of some of our dogs. When anyone in the house laughs, she laughs along. You’re welcome to visit our Nikki at the Funny Farm.
Is a retired Thoroughbred. Although Politico is lightning-fast—really a blur when he runs—he wasn’t a moneymaker. To our knowledge, he never won a race. When his owner realized he wouldn’t see a return on his investment, Politico was not treated well and was sent to auction. He almost certainly would have been slaughtered if not for a compassionate horse-lover who rescued him and asked if we could take him at the Funny Farm. Politico is sleek, beautiful and obsidian black. He’s also balky and short-tempered—in horsey parlance, “hot-blooded.” Politico has calmed down a lot over the years, in large part because of a “widowed” mare named Jelly, whose longtime mate Peanut Butter died of asthma. Though Jelly is an older woman—about twenty-seven, to Politico’s twenty—they’re a devoted pair.
Emily the emu began her life as a science project. A local teacher had conducted a classroom experiment to hatch two emu eggs. Owning an emu is not a short-term commitment: in captivity these exotic birds, which are native to the Australian savanna, can live thirty-five years or more.
At any rate, it was an interesting project for schoolchildren. Both eggs hatched, and the teacher named them Emily and Enoch. Enoch was a homebody, pretty placid, a lover boy; he’d stand at the pasture fence, batting his big hazel eyes and waiting to be fed and petted. Emily was a loner and alas, didn’t give up her roving ways after she moved to the Funny Farm. One time, a storm blew through, felling a tree that in turn broke her pasture fence. Emily took off like Papillon and was gone for two full months. Her escape made the news, and we got constant updates from confused people who said, “I swear I’m not drunk, but I just saw a six-foot turkey in my backyard!” Emily was caught and brought back to the Funny Farm.
Enoch, always on the sickly side, only lived about ten years. We took in another emu called Elvis, who has since left the building, too. Emily has outlived two husbands.
Cowboy came to the Funny Farm as a baby, just one month old with a broken leg. After a very costly surgery, and months of recuperating, Cowboy’s leg was saved. He was the first animal who “spoke” on Funny Farm’s Facebook page and became the “Donations Inspector.” His stories and antics went viral. Funny Farm fans and followers all over the world love his adventures and photobombing skills.
Adele is the Diva chicken that lives in the house. She struts around the house in her custom-made diapers, her nails are always painted and loves anything sparkly! If Laurie cannot find her, she is usually in the bathroom, up on the counter playing with Laurie’s jewelry. After all she is a Diva!
Since she loves to bauk bauk bauk and sing sing sing, Laurie named her Adele because of her very pretty voice. Usually, she is loudest when Laurie is on the phone!
Adele has her own children’s book and goes to schools teaching kids that it’s okay to be themselves. Her book is all about anti-bullying, kindness, and accepting others just as they are. Click to purchase “Adele, The Diva Chicken” book.
