Laurie Zaleski Funny Farm Rescue Part 1

Season 2, Episode 8 Laurie Zaleski Funny Farm Rescue Part 1

Recorded: June 18, 2026

Released: July 8, 2026

Length: Minutes 17 Seconds 12

Welcome to Shaping Our Story, where inspiring leaders share their passion, purpose, and perseverance to help you build a meaning life. Today, Laurie Zaleski shares how she turned one of life's most difficult challenges into a journey of purpose, resilience, and hope. Discover how she found the strength to rebuild her life after a life-changing event—and not just survive, but truly thrive.

Listen to this inspiring episode of Shaping Our Story and be reminded that even life's hardest moments can lead to a meaningful new beginning.

🔥 What You’ll Discover in This Episode

• How Laurie Zaleski transformed childhood adversity into a life dedicated to rescuing animals and helping others.
• Why resilience, perseverance, and purpose are essential for overcoming life's biggest challenges.
• How Funny Farm Rescue grew from one family's compassion into a sanctuary for more than 750 rescued animals.
• The powerful leadership lessons that come from serving others with kindness and empathy.
• How animals can provide healing, unconditional love, and emotional support for people of all ages.
• Why small acts of compassion can create lasting change in your community.
• The inspiring influence of Laurie's mother and the values that shaped her life's mission.
• How to find purpose by turning personal struggles into opportunities to make a difference.
• Behind-the-scenes stories from Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals.
• Why hope, grit, and generosity can change both human and animal lives.

👍 If this inspired you

Please like, comment, and share to help others build meaningful connections and live with purpose. 

Find Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals wherever books are sold.  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/funny-farm-laurie-zaleski/1138461965?ean=9781250858436

💻 LEARN MORE about our guest

FunnyFarmRescue

⚪️ Website funnyfarmrescue.org

⚪️ Facebook @funnyfarmrescue

⚪️ Instagram @funnyfarmrescue

⚪️ Youtube @funnyfarmrescue

💡ABOUT US 

On Shaping Our Story, inspiring leaders share lessons in passion, purpose and perseverance to help build a meaningful life. Real people. Real stories. Real strategies to help you thrive. Hosted by Louise Krikorian, award-winning storyteller, educator, and filmmaker, this podcast brings you powerful insights from inspiring voices across industries. #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #businesslessons #businessleadership #founders #founderstory #angeladuckworth #grit #kellycorrigan #melrobbins #jeffberman #simonsinek #leadership #situated #kellyclarkson #lesleystahl #CBSnews #People 

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🏆 LIKE-MINDED COLLABORATORS 

Kelly Corrigan, Mel Robbins, Jeff Berman, and Simon Sinek 

🎙️ PBS Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan Angela Duckworth Oct 4, 2022 https://www.pbs.org/video/angela-duckworth-k8wbgb/ 

🎙️ The Mel Robbins Podcast How to Create a Successful Mindset: The Science of Passion and Perseverance, Oct 13, 2025 https://youtu.be/rmW3Afu9npY?si=T9mdbxzI9TGxbtcu 

🎙️ Jeff Berman | Masters of Scale Angela Duckworth on her new book, the limits of grit, and her advice to founders, May 16, 2024 https://youtu.be/19CS4L8v4TE 

🎙️ Simon Sinek | A Bit of Optimism Podcast What Grit Really Teaches Us About Happiness with Professor Angela Duckworth, Feb 3, 2026 https://youtu.be/KAi2L_b1V2I?si=Lsf7YtcA5I4EcS4M

ℹ️ Information

◽️ Creator, Producer, Host: Louise A. Krikorian

◽️ Editor: George C. Davison

◽️ Years Active: 2025

◽️ Episodes: 18

◽️ Rating: Clean

◽️ Hosted with Buzzsprout www.buzzsprout.com

◽️ Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

◽️ Available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@LouiseKrikorian

Transcript

Louise Krikorian: Hi, I'm Louise Krikorian, and this is Shaping Our Story, where inspiring leaders share the passion, purpose, and perseverance behind their success—and now we're specifically asking about the people, places, and experiences that shaped their journey. Join us for conversations about leadership, resilience, personal growth, and making a positive impact.

Photo Laurie horse bookcover back

Today, our guest is Laurie Zaleski,is a true treasure. She is the founder of the

Photo Alpaca Cooper

Funny Farm Rescue in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Since 2000, Laurie has welcomed 

Photo Donkey sisters

hundreds of rescued animals to her sanctuary, creating a place where compassion and second chances

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Thrive. She's also an entrepreneur, author, and founder of the 

Photo Goat eyes

Award-winning creative agency Art-Z Graphics.

Photo Funny Farm Bookcover

Laurie is the author of Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals and several children's books that promote kindness and anti-bullying. 

Photo People Magazine photo 2022

Photo credit People Magazine May 16, 2022

Her inspiring story has been featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, in People magazine, and on numerous podcasts. She has won several awards like

Photo Air2Air-scaled

the Most Remarkable Woman of the Year in the Tristate Area of NJ/NY/PA in 2025 and the New Jersey Heartland Hero Award in 2017.

Photo Laurie Dog Chicken

Laurie's passion is caring for animals,and her purpose is sharing the unconditional love that they give so freely. 

Photo Laurie with Tucker the black dog

Today, we'll talk about the experiences that shaped her journey, the challenges that she’s has overcome, and the lessons she's learned about kindness, resilience, and making a difference.

Louise Krikorian: Hi, Laurie Zaleski. It's so good to see you again. 

Laurie Zaleski: Hi, Louise. It's wonderful to be here, and it's great to see you as well. 

Louise Krikorian: I really enjoyed my time on the Funny Farm, and I'm just so thrilled that we get to spend some more time together. You are the founder of the Funny Farm, and I know you welcome all kinds of rescue animals.

Louise Krikorian: Mm-hmm. You're the [00:22:00] founder and CEO of Art Z Graphics, 

Photo to FAAMosaic-scaled (round digital art with airplane)

Photo 1-Manager-VectorArt (PIER 78 SOUTH)

which is an award-winning agency. Mm-hmm. And that's something that we have in common because that's in aviation. You fly. Mm-hmm. Uh, and you take aerial photographs, and then you also create murals for the FAA, for the government. 

Laurie Zaleski: Right. 

Louise Krikorian: And you are also the author of The current book that I'm reading, which I absolutely love, I'm reading this at night, The Funny Farm: An Unexpected, My Unexpected Life With 600 Rescue Animals, and this was a hard read.

Photo Bookcover Funny Farm

Louise Krikorian: This is not a children's book. 

Laurie Zaleski: It is not. It's not a har- It's an easy read, but a hard read emotionally, right? 

Louise Krikorian: Yeah. Is that 

Laurie Zaleski: what you mean? 

Louise Krikorian: Yeah. And I love the animal tales that you put in. Like- Uh-huh ... you've got like a s- story that's kind of, yeah, hard to read. Life. It's life. And then, and then the happy, the happy- Yeah

Louise Krikorian: [00:23:00] story with your, your animals. Yeah. But then you're also the author of children's books in The Funny Farm series with Matt Reeves. Matt 

Photo Bookcover Adele

Laurie Zaleski: Reeves, 

Louise Krikorian: yeah. And one of your books is Adele the Diva Chicken. 

Laurie Zaleski: Guess who I have with me? Here she is. And you know- Hi, 

Louise Krikorian: Adele ... she's 

Laurie Zaleski: in her tutu for you all. 

Louise Krikorian: Yeah. She's 

Laurie Zaleski: very famous.

Laurie Zaleski: Mm-hmm. 

Louise Krikorian: Here she is. I love the book, Adele the Diva Chicken. 

Laurie Zaleski: Adele the Diva Chicken, and she was named after Adele the singer. People say, "Is that what she's named after?" Absolutely. First of all, I love her, but she, I, she's being very quiet. I'm surprised. But normally she's like, "Ca, ca, caa," when I get on the phone or a Zoom or a podcast, she's always one to talk.

Laurie Zaleski: But she is getting much older now, so she is, uh, she's a, she's getting- Mm ... um, a little grumpy and she's sleepy. I think it's past her bedtime. 

Louise Krikorian: Well, I wonder if Nikki, 'cause I can see Nikki in the background, if Nikki's gonna start- Oh, you can [00:24:00] 

Laurie Zaleski: see Nikki. I can. 

Photo Nikki

Louise Krikorian: Can you see Nikki? 

Laurie Zaleski: Yes, I can see Nikki right there.

Louise Krikorian: There's Nikki. Yes. Hi, Nikki. 

Laurie Zaleski: So she is completely out of her area. She's loose all the time, and I know not too many people have chicken cages in their house. I currently have seven chickens in my house. So they don't stay here. They, except for Adele, and then I have L- Miss Little Lily, who I put, you know, on people's heads, ha- Mm

Laurie Zaleski: that you met, Louise, when you came. I've 

Louise Krikorian: met her, yes. Right. 

Laurie Zaleski: So she is in here as well, but some of them are s- you know, they're, they're getting better, so they, they come in here to the hospital, to the Laurie Zaleski Hospital inside, and then they'll go back out. 

Louise Krikorian: So how do you describe the Funny Farm to the children that you meet when you take your animals to schools?

Laurie Zaleski: So first of all, it's heaven on, on Earth when it comes for the animals. It's like Disneyland for the animals, I say. [00:25:00] However, I explain to them what rescue is. They are abused, unwanted, elderly, disabled, and most of these animals had nowhere else to turn. We were the last stop, so we're usually the last stop for most of these animals.

Photo Horse one-eyed

Photo Bookcover Adele

Laurie Zaleski: People say, "Are they adoptable?" And we're like, "Sure. Who wants a one-eyed horse that you can't ride? You know, who wants a, you know, a blind dog?" You know, so it's things like that. Not everybody is disabled. Some of them are just unwanted and some of them have behavioral problems, or people had to move, or, you know, whatever the case may be. But, uh, we're usually the last stop for these animals. 

Louise Krikorian: Mm. I just, I, I just, I didn't know what to expect when I got there. So, so your, your Funny Farm- Mm-hmm ... is in a, um, it's in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Yeah. Which is South Jersey. Yes. Which is the Pine Barrens. Mm-hmm. So you have a lot of pine trees around.

Louise Krikorian: You're in the middle of what looks, seems like nowhere. 

Laurie Zaleski: Yes. 

Louise Krikorian: You have, you have just recently [00:26:00] purchased more acreage. 

Laurie Zaleski: Correct. 

Louise Krikorian: Mm-hmm. So are, are you up to 25 acres? 

Laurie Zaleski: 25 acres. I technically have 30, but it's two lots away, and we can't connect it. So 25 usable acres right now for the Funny Farm. And, uh, and it's getting fuller by the minute.

Laurie Zaleski: So as you were saying, the book had 600. We're over 750 animals now. I have a problem, like my mother, I have a hard time saying no when it comes to, you know, comes to these babies, trying to- Right ... to, uh, you know, you c- you can't say no. Yeah. 

Louise Krikorian: Right. So the original Funny Farm was in Turnersville. Mm-hmm. Which is also South Jersey.

Photo Original FF shack rental

Louise Krikorian: Correct. And you, you lived there with your mom. For, for those of, so for those of our listeners who have not read Funny Farm yet, I highly recommend getting this book, because it, it just, it really teaches you about perseverance and grit, and just knowing how to survive, literally survive. [00:27:00] Um, you and your mom and your two siblings, uh, your brother and your sister, you all had to get away from a situation that, um, was abusive, and you came to this little shack in the middle of nowhere, I wanna say, but it, it is Turnersville.

Laurie Zaleski: Mm-hmm. 

Louise Krikorian: And, um, someone was very generous in letting you stay there. But it was a place where you had to make it your own home, because in the beginning you didn't have electricity, you didn't have running water. 

Laurie Zaleski: Right. 

Louise Krikorian: Um, you just had to create your own kind of little, um, I don't know, comfort- 

Photo Original FF shack rental w/dogs

Laurie Zaleski: Mm-hmm ... 

Louise Krikorian: out of this.

Louise Krikorian: But you really relied on each other. 

Laurie Zaleski: Yep 

Louise Krikorian: But that was the original Funny Farm, and then, and y- your mom needed to work, so she started working in a shelter, and that's, from what I [00:28:00] understand, that's how your Funny Farm began. Because she started bringing home animals. 

Laurie Zaleski: Right. 

Louise Krikorian: And that's what you do now. 

Laurie Zaleski: Mm-hmm.

Laurie Zaleski: We had everything. We had wildlife and all sorts. Any animal that was gonna be euthanized, my, my mother said, "Well, you can't euthanize them. Let's, let's try and save them." We didn't have money for a vet, but you know what? With a lot of love, and she was going, I said she was going to be the nun, and so she did have some Red Cross experience.

Laurie Zaleski: She did whatever she could to try and keep these animals alive, and she called it the Funny Farm. And then we said, "Mom, why the Funny Farm?" She said, "It's full of animals and fit for lunatics." Because- Mm ... everybody was very special in one, one way or another. Right. And that's how it started. And we said, "Mom, we can't even take care of ourselves, let alone these animals."

Laurie Zaleski: It was a one-bedroom, little tiny house, and- Mm-hmm ... she said, "As bad as we have it, somebody always has it worse, and we are gonna help these animals." And that's how it began, and that's what she instilled in all of us. 

Louise Krikorian: Yeah. And the person who introduced me to [00:29:00] you and the Funny Farm, actually one of the reasons that I really like him is because he said the same thing that you just said.

Photo Nikki Rod

Louise Krikorian: You never know what somebody else is going through. Right. Yeah. So I really, I really feel strongly about that. 

Laurie Zaleski: Mm-hmm. 

Louise Krikorian: So let's just start by focusing on your grit, which is your passion and your perseverance. So of all of the pursuits that you have, which I've just discussed, um, what would you say is your passion or greatest interest?

Laurie Zaleski: Well, o- obviously it's animals, and that's why my whole life is surrounded by them. You know, I loved art and photography, and I always, since I was in kindergarten, I knew I was gonna be an artist. But the Funny Farm is really, you know, it's who I am. It's, it's not just what I do. Graphic design, photography, illustration, that's what I do.

Laurie Zaleski: Who I am is an animal rescuer now. That, that is my, my most passionate thing that I have in my [00:30:00] life, and it 

Louise Krikorian: will be- When you were little, is that what you started drawing? 'Cause I think you had that in the book. 

Laurie Zaleski: Yeah. When I, I won my first, um, award for something I painted, and I was in kindergarten. I was in kindergarten.

Laurie Zaleski: So I think it was something that I was good at, and you know it. Mm-hmm. And my mother was that person, her kids were the best no matter what. We were, could have been terrible and she was like, "Oh my God, that's so beautiful." She kept everything. You know how some parents they like, like, "Just throw it away, they won't know later."

Laurie Zaleski: My, my mother kept everything. I still have that kindergarten painting. She wound up shellacking it onto a board 'cause it disen- it was disintegrating. I'm 57, so I still have it. So- And is it- Yeah, I still have it. 

Louise Krikorian: What is it a picture of? 

Laurie Zaleski: It, it's a picture of a clown with a bunch of animals in the background.

Laurie Zaleski: So we were supposed to do a clown, and of course I had to add all these animals. And you know, everything I drew kind of, or [00:31:00] painted was horses, and I loved- Horses ... um, you know, but it could have been anything. I loved animals. 

Louise Krikorian: So what would you say is your purpose? 

Laurie Zaleski: To rescue animals. 

Louise Krikorian: Mm-hmm. 

Laurie Zaleski: And we helped some people along the way.

Laurie Zaleski: That was not my main mission. 

Louise Krikorian: Mm. 

Laurie Zaleski: But I'll tell you, so many people have said, "Lori, without the Funny Farm, I would not be here today." We've had so many people that said they would've ... Most ... They, some people just need a purpose. Yeah. And we have a lot of become vets, and I had an, a woman that was, uh, was afraid to leave her home.

Laurie Zaleski: Mm. And she saw us on the news and came here, and she came out of her shell, and then started volunteering and became a whole different person. Yeah. So it kind of saved her, you know? And people say, "It's my happy place." Mm. When they're having a bad day, or they lose somebody close to them, this is where they come to, to feel better.

Louise Krikorian: Well, I f- I feel that animals h- um, can give you unconditional love. 

Laurie Zaleski: Oh, my goodness. All the time. [00:32:00] Yeah. All the time. I could have a bad day at work, and I come home, and then the animals start ... You know, I have 10 dogs that greet me, so I, I don't know if anybody knows what I have here, but I have 10 dogs, 35 cats, the cockatoo.

Laurie Zaleski: The baby sheep, I'm happy to say, moved to outside this past week. 

Louise Krikorian: Oh, really? 

Laurie Zaleski: My house. Yes, yes, yes. And then I have chickens and a guinea pig. So she's still sitting here. She's just, we'll hang out all, all night. So it's- 

Louise Krikorian: If anybody- ... 

Laurie Zaleski: coming ... 

Louise Krikorian: if anybody decides to come in, that's okay with me. 

Laurie Zaleski: Well, everybody's in.

Laurie Zaleski: They are in. They are in. And being quiet. 

Louise Krikorian: It's so quiet. 

Laurie Zaleski: The animals are being quiet. So everybody ate dinner. That's the key. They eat dinner. 

Louise Krikorian: Mm. 

Laurie Zaleski: And then nap-nap before they- 

Louise Krikorian: Okay ... get up 

Laurie Zaleski: later and be crazy. Okay. 

Louise Krikorian: Yeah. 

Laurie Zaleski: That's why we picked this time. Well- ... 

Louise Krikorian: yes, that's true, 'cause we have talked about this before.

Laurie Zaleski: Yes, 

Louise Krikorian: yes. Mm. So I'd like to take a look at how you have put yourself in this situation, and you've got ... You're surrounded by people [00:33:00] and the place- 

Laurie Zaleski: Mm-hmm ... 

Louise Krikorian: that is bringing out the best in you. Basically, um, looking at how you've situated yourself to, to meet the challenges that you want to take care of in your life.

Louise Krikorian: So- How would you say that you set up your personal space? 

Laurie Zaleski: Well, let me tell you, first of all, none of this was on purpose. You don't get in... People said, "Oh, did you always want an animal rescue?" No. Who lives like this? But I wouldn't change it. You know, this is not the way that I want to live, but it is the way that I need to live to help these animals.

Laurie Zaleski: You know, there's something happening all the time. There's always some kind of cleanup. There's always somebody going, some- somebody's having some kind of an accident. Everybody's potty trained, but- Right ... obviously except for Adele. Right. But there's al- you know, all these things. But, y- you know, sometimes you have to do things that are uncomfortable to- [00:34:00] Mm-hmm

Laurie Zaleski: get to, so you go where, so you know where you're going and you- Right ... are trying to achieve something. Right. And you're gonna go through a lot, a lo- a lot of obstacles. Yeah. You know, when I started here, I cried. When I bought this place from my mother, uh, you know, she died two weeks before I made settlement, and I was going to just assist her, and I never thought she was going to die.

Laurie Zaleski: And when she died, I cried for three weeks. Like, I only had 35 animals. I'm like, "I can't do this. I'm by myself." I had just split up with my, my boyfriend, who wasn't supportive, and I said, "That's it. I'm, you know, I'm taking care of myself and all of these animals, and I work a full-time job. I have my own business.

Laurie Zaleski: I have people relying on me. What am I gonna do?" So I didn't do anything for 12 years. I just took care of these animals, and I kept getting more and more and more. I didn't become a nonprofit until 12 years in. So I was here for 12 years, and my bills got to be about 4,000 a month, and I said, "What am I gonna do?

Laurie Zaleski: I can't make any more money. I, I don't have any more time." Mm-hmm. So I became a [00:35:00] nonprofit, just to get a tax break- Mm-hmm ... on $4,000 worth of feed, and that's how it started. And then people started saying, "Can I visit? Can I volunteer?" And I'm like, "What are you people talking about? This is where I live." Like, can you imagine having somebody at your house- 

Louise Krikorian: Yeah.

Laurie Zaleski: Yeah ... all the time except for- 

Louise Krikorian: Yeah ... 

Laurie Zaleski: in the evening. Mm-hmm. But, um, I have people here at 6:00 AM in the morning, I'm up early, and then they're here till about 6:00 PM at night. So thank- How did- ... goodness for my volunteers. 

Louise Krikorian: Yeah. How did you find them? 

And next time, will be Part II on July 22nd. Come back to listen to Laurie's answer. 

Thank you for joining us on Shaping Our Story. And special thanks to our guest, Laurie Zaleski, whose extraordinary commitment to animal rescue reminds us that real leadership is rooted in compassion, purpose, and perseverance.

Laurie's ability to care for hundreds of rescue animals, support her volunteers, show up on the coldest days, and keep moving forward even when things aren't perfect is a powerful example of what it means to turn passion into action.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast and leave a comment. We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for future guests.

And remember, if this conversation made you think, share the thought with a friend. Together, we can inspire more people through stories of courage, resilience, community, and hope.

I'm Louise Krikorian, and this is Shaping Our Story. See you next time.