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Funny Farm
Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals | Laurie Zaleski
13 posts | 11 read | 12 to read
An inspiring and moving memoir of the author's turbulent life with 600 rescue animals. Laurie Zaleski never aspired to run an animal rescue; that was her mother Annies dream. But from girlhood, Laurie was determined to make the dream come true. Thirty years later as a successful businesswoman, she did it, buying a 15-acre farm deep in the Pinelands of South Jersey. She was planning to relocate Annie and her caravan of ragtag rescueshorses and goats, dogs and cats, chickens and pigswhen Annie died, just two weeks before moving day. In her heartbreak, Laurie resolved to make her mother's dream her own. In 2001, she established the Funny Farm Animal Rescue outside Mays Landing, New Jersey. Today, she carries on Annies mission to save abused and neglected animals. Funny Farm is Lauries story: of promises kept, dreams fulfilled, and animals lost and found. Its the story of Annie McNulty, who fled a nightmarish marriage with few skills, no money and no resources, dragging three kids behind her, and accumulating hundreds of cast-off animals on the way. And lastly, it's the story of the brave, incredible, and adorable animals that were rescued.
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SaunteringVaguelyDownwards
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Pickpick

The Funny Farm is a local attraction, so our faculty book club read this memoir/animal tale/mission statement and visited. Laurie writes just as she speaks, and is so inviting and enthusiastic that it's impossible not to enjoy the experience. The book itself is vivid and engaging, balancing the trauma of domestic abuse and poverty with the deep love for nature and strength of will Laurie inherited from her mother.

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards Top left picture features Adele, the diva chicken, and Tucker, a megaesophagus dog who needs to sit in that specially constructed Bailey chair in order to swallow food; top right is Laurie and 6 of the 11 dogs who live in her house; and bottom right is Ellie the emu. 9mo
12 likes1 comment
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BookKenz
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This was such a great read! I discovered this book through the Goodreads awards and immediately got the audiobook. It's a mix of a Laurie's life growing up and Funny Farm animal stories.

Now, I'm following their Facebook page and love seeing the amazing work they do.

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Susanita
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1. Finished the tagged book last night
2. I haven‘t
3. Letters from Father Christmas
#wondrouswednesday

IndoorDame Letters from Father Christmas is on my Dec reading list for the first time this year! 1y
Eggs #3!!!! Thank you for joining in ❄️ 1y
29 likes2 comments
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Jen2
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Great audiobook!

DivineDiana Just watched the segment on the TV show Sunday Morning that interviewed the owner. Heartwarming! 2y
53 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Megabooks
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After the horribly inaccurate vet book, I needed a reset. Enter the Funny Farm. I remember lucking into their Facebook account and how they‘d sometimes hilariously let the animals post from their perspective.

When Laurie‘s parents divorced, they were left poor. This didn‘t stop her very compassionate mother from taking in stray animals (CW ⬇️). Later, Laurie would continue growing the Funny Farm into a special sanctuary for domesticated animals.

Megabooks I‘m not on FB anymore, but here is a link to their IG https://instagram.com/funnyfarmrescue?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 2y
Megabooks CW: Animals die. It‘s an incredibly sad fact of working with them that most won‘t outlive you. That said, there are a couple of scenes in the book where her very abusive father (CW on that too) intentionally murders some. 😭 2y
ShelleyBooksie Thank you for posting that - I was just about to stack this until I read about the murder scenes. 2y
See All 10 Comments
Prairiegirl_reading Oh dear! This was an aspect I didn‘t consider when I grab the daily deal on audible a while back. Now I‘m debating if I should return it. 🙁thanks for the review! 2y
Cinfhen #CoverCrush 😍Another excellent review 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen thanks!! 😘😘 2y
Megabooks @Prairiegirl_reading yeah, I picked it up then too. The scenes are short but jarring. It is heartbreaking that someone would be so cruel. 2y
Megabooks @ShelleyBooksie yes, it was a bit jarring to run across those parts. Their father really didn‘t have a lot of redeeming qualities, and the scenes with the animals were particularly hard to read. 2y
Prairiegirl_reading @Megabooks my sensitive heart can‘t take that right now. I think I should exchange it. 2y
Megabooks @Prairiegirl_reading I‘m glad I could help you make the best decision for you. 💜 2y
92 likes1 stack add10 comments
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Texreader
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Bklover There are some good ones on that list! I especially liked 2y
Magpiegem I love it when you put these lists up - I always add something new to the TBR!- thank you 😊 2y
49 likes2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Checked this out for my mom because it seems right up her alley. May read a bit of it myself before it goes back to the library. I love a rescue situation…and this is 600 rescues! 🐶🐱🐷🐮🐤🐰

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Erynecki
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A memoir of a nightmarish marriage, an ugly divorce, poverty, lovable animals in search of a forever home, and promise to carry on her mother‘s animal rescue instincts. If you loved Animalish, and the episode on Queer Eye about the animal rescue shelter, you‘ll enjoy this book. Definitely some very sad stories but sprinkled throughout is the cast of brave, funny, smart, and charming animals that live at Funny Farm.

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keithmalek
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GREAT book!

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keithmalek
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Seriously?

TheSpineView Wow! Didn't know that! 2y
Andrea313 Yes. My mom, after her marriage in the 70s, was denied a store card and told to come back with "her husband or father". RAGE! 2y
5 likes2 comments
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TorieStorieS
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I really loved this book- part memoir and tribute to the author‘s mother, along with anecdotes about the titular Funny Farm- a rescue organization where the author lives- alongside hundreds of animals. She relays her own childhood and everything that built up to the creation of this great New Jersey non-forprofit! I only wish my copy had some photos! An overall uplifting and inspiring story! #DogsOfLitsy

WJCintron 😍 😍 😍 3y
55 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Addison_Reads
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Addison_Reads
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#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #NetGalley

Delightful memoir 💚

Laurie mixes writings about her family with tales of animals she grew up with or rescued as an adult. This was such a wonderful escape from my usual reads. There are some emotional sections, both with humans and animals, but overall this is an uplifting read.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
30 likes2 stack adds1 comment