It was Memorial Day 2020 when a driver in New Jersey spotted a small black kitten on the side of the road.
Her eyes were closed. She was blind. Her mother had been killed by a car.
So he picked up the kitten and took her to Funny Farm, a rescue outfit where no animal in need is turned away.
“She was near death,” recalled Laurie Zaleski, who runs the place in Mays Landing. “That little kitten wasn’t going to make it.”
A day later, a police officer arrived. He’d also found an abandoned animal — a duckling.
Zaleski put the two orphans together. “They kept each other warm,” she said.
And so it was that Hope the kitten got her own seeing-eye duck, Jello, who delighted in helping the tiny feline find her way around.
“That’s the happiest little duck you ever saw,” Zalesky said.
Theirs is just one of many unlikely bonds she’s witnessed among her band of 600 misfits. There are dogs helping chickens. A llama who adopted a donkey. A German shepherd and blind lamb who are best friends.
Zaleksi, who wrote a new book, “Funny Farm,” about starting the sanctuary as a tribute to her late mom, says humans can learn from what goes on there.
“They’re all brothers and sisters here,” she said.
“We have a kindness program where we go to all these schools. We tell the kids, ‘These animals all get along together so maybe you guys can, too.'”
Hope the kitten and Jello the duck
Hope, found blind, was lucky to arrive at the farm just one day before Jello, who took the tiny feline under his wing and acts as her seeing-eye duck.
Scooby-Doo the dog and Bradley the lamb
This little lamb, Bradley, got off to a rough start: His mom refused to let him nurse, and he was blind. But once he arrived at the farm, Scooby-Doo adopted him. Now Bradley and the big dog, a German shepherd who had been abandoned in an apartment in Brooklyn, are best buddies.
Yogi the cow and Cooper the alpaca
These longtime pals share a pen but have to be careful when getting close — Yogi once accidentally poked the alpaca in the side with his horn. While Cooper needed medical care and a week to recover, Yogi clearly missed his buddy, laying on the ground and refusing to eat any treats. But, caretaker Laurie Zaleski said, he perked right up when Cooper returned.
Lorenzo the llama and Jethro the mini donkey
After Jethro lost his longtime companion Smokey the horse, the 50-year-old mini donkey stopped eating, avoided other animals and seemed inconsolable. Enter Lorenzo, who bonded with the heartbroken Jethro and helped him regain his health. The two enjoy one of the strongest friendships on the farm.
Nemo the baby goat and Tad the chicken
These two bunk mates sleep next to each other every night, after hanging out together on the farm during the day.
Adele the chicken and E’yore the donkey
Known as the diva of the hen house, Adele does not like cold tootsies. Her favorite way to warm up her feet is by sinking them into the coat of E’yore, who seems happy about it.
Pinky the baby emu and Puppy the miniature schnauzer
Pinky has splayed legs and needs a special brace to walk on her own, but that doesn’t bother Puppy. The two chase each other around for hours, until it’s time for nap.
Cowboy the goat, Reggie the sheep, Yogi the cow and Farley the dog
The embodiment of getting by with a little help from your friends, this group is known as the farm’s Fab Four.
