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  • Open: Sun & Tues 8:00am - 4:00pm
VISITOR WAIVER
AMAZON WISHLIST
CHEWY WISHLIST

Tucker

All of the 600+ animals living at the Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary have amazing stories, but none more than Tucker.  Tucker has a medical condition called megaesophagus. This means his esophagus is too large for his body, usually a birth defect due to inbreeding. In most cases, including Tucker’s, veterinarians recommend euthanasia citing that they will not have a good quality of life.  Tucker is an exception.  Since he was a puppy, after nearly every meal, he would regurgitate. His human parents took him to the vet only to find out he had megaesophagus. They saw this beautiful puppy with a face that they just knew wanted to live. They contacted Laurie, the owner of the Funny Farm as she had more experience with megaesophagus than most people because of her famous dog, “Chucky”.  Without much convincing, Laurie agreed to take Tucker and it was love at first sight. Tucker is now 5 years old! He lives the most amazing life at the Funny Farm. He runs over 25 acres with his 600 brothers and sisters and is known as the Director of Security. He is like a giant kitten and is one of his mom’s favorites. There is a special bond that forms when an animal has such a condition. Tucker has to eat seven times a day. His food is blended into a doggie milkshake so gravity can get the food into his stomach. After he eats, he sits straight up for 10 minutes in his special Bailey Chair. Tucker is a star in the “Chucky, the Miracle Dog” book and film which teaches children to never give up, live each day to the best of your ability, and always, always, have fun! Click to buy Chucky book.

Juliette

Juliet

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.

Nikki

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.

Politico

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

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

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.

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