Atlantic County animal rescue surprised by delivery of 60 roosters

MAYS LANDING - An animal shelter here was prepared to take in four roosters rescued from a cockfighting ring.

But Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary was surprised to receive five dozen instead.

"We only agreed to 4 and the van pulled up with what they said was 57! Total count was 60 birds," said Laurie Zaleski, Funny Farm's founder.

"I could not turn them away after they had been failed by human after human," Zaleski said.

Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary, a nonprofit that accepts donations through its website, currently is home to more than 600 animals.

In a Facebook post, Funny Farm said Zaleski and others worked overnight making temporary homes for the fighting birds.

"They can't be together because most are mean and will fight," said the post, which noted the birds arrived on the eve of Funny Farm's spring festival.

Zaleski says she hopes to rehab the roosters to at least live out their lives as normally as possible.

"A few are young enough to possibly be rehabbed and a few volunteers have offered to take in after quarantine. No other rescues will take them," Zaleski said.

"To date we have built what I like to call our "roosters condos," where each rooster has the freedom to scratch and live out their lives like a rooster should," she said.

Adding to this upheaval: Funny Farm took in more than 100 roosters last year when police raided an alleged fighting ring in South Jersey.

The two groups of birds are being kept at separate sites for quarantine purposes, Zaleski said.

Nick Butler is an impact reporter for the Courier Post, the Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times covering community news in South Jersey. Have any tips or stories? Reach out to NButler@Gannett.com. Subscribe to stay in the loop.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary take in 60 roosters from cruelty case