One of my favorite day trips from Philly is to visit the Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing, NJ. It’s been a Noah’s Ark of love and community for more than 600 rescued animals for over 20 years.
I learned about this incredible true story by reading founder Laurie Zaleski’s nonfiction best seller, Funny Farm.
This south Jersey farm has been a lifeline of care for an incredible variety of domestic and exotic creatures. Many come with health challenges, when no one else would take them. You can visit on Tuesday and Sunday with free admission and free parking.
My husband and I visited on a Sunday morning when Laurie Zaleski did her weekly Facebook live event. 
The crew even filmed us feeding Emily the Emu and some ducks. Many of the animals are free-range and enjoy interacting with people. For a small fee, you can buy a cup of veggies or other food and hand feed some animals of your choice.
We were very impressed with the care shown by the volunteers and staff toward the animals. The rescues clearly felt loved and comfortable at the Funny Farm.
The baked goods (prepared and donated weekly by a volunteer) were delicious! We devoured fresh blueberry muffins and lemon pound cake for lunch. We even got to pet and thank Farley, the Australian shepherd dog and unofficial field manager. The cockatoo was a hoot!
Donations of cash, supplies and volunteer time are greatly appreciated. You can also become an animal sponsor.