It was a dark and stormy night. Well, maybe it was daytime, I really don’t know, but monsoon rains and wind in August tore apart Ghost Ranch Exotics and Funny Foot Farm. Now they have to start over. It’s more fun to recall how we met.

Have you ever shared a hotel room with a capybara? I have, and it was loads of fun, maybe a bit challenging at times. Georgi brought Mia the capybara to a BlogPaws conference just outside of Las Vegas where most people brought dogs and cats. I’m quite certain the hotel wasn’t expecting a capybara, but there she was.

There was a big outdoor area for dogs and capybaras, but Mia was indoors, too. That was the most fun part.

By indoors at the hotel I don’t mean just in the dining and common areas.

A couple of years later, Melanie Typaldos and I found ourselves in Arizona for another BlogPaws conference. We visited Georgi, Mia, Ken MacNeil and friends at their residence, precursor to the original Funny Foot Farm.

See what I mean? They have a great big swimming pool, but the wading pools are what they like best. Go figure.

The photos above are of the original facility. Then Funny Foot Farm moved to a new facility which was sold out from under them. They have just moved to a new piece of ground and were getting set up again when monsoon rains and wind took them out. Some of the animals escaped, but most have been found.

Here are a couple articles about their storm damage. Here’s a link to their fundraiser.

Georgi and I met because of our common interest in capybaras. Over the years I have watched her herd grow and evolve. If you like capybaras, her petting zoo in Arizona has one of the best capybara encounters outside of a zoo. If you really like capybaras, please consider donating to the rebuild fund.

The following are a bunch of photos I stole from their website. As you can see, they have more than capybaras. (Copyright © 2023 Private Exotic Animal Experiences in Tucson)