Nestled on two and a half acres near the Parkland Equestrian Center is an animal sanctuary called Big Poppa Farms. When Jodi and Pete Sullivan first purchased the property in 2017, they had no idea that in a few years’ time, they would be running a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in their own backyard.
“It wasn’t something that was planned,” affirms Jodi. “It just kind of happened for us. It kind of rescued us.”
Pete had always wanted a Highland cow, but due to heat concerns, they decided that it wasn’t the best idea, so they opted for his second choice, a large draft horse. When Jodi began searching for one online, she found a Belgian draft horse in a kill pen up north and decided to rescue it.
Jodi’s research also led to a woman who frequents these auctions and acts as a buyer for rescuers, sending photos and videos of the animals and then bidding on the ones that rescuers choose to save. This woman secured the Sullivans’ first rescue horse, Samson.
While purchasing Samson may have been simple, getting him to Florida was not. “Any animal purchased at auction has to be vetted and quarantined,” explains Jodi. “You can’t just bring any animal in from another state. It has to have a health certificate and a negative Coggins test.” A Coggins test is done to ensure that a horse is not carrying equine infectious anemia.
Between health care and transportation, costs can run thousands of dollars per horse. Despite the hefty bills, Jodi and Pete continue to rescue animals from auctions. “She wants to help animals instead of just purchasing them,” says Pete of Jodi.
While some may not consider animals purchased from auctions as rescues, Jodi and Pete are quick to remind them what fate awaits many of the animals at these auctions. “You’re bidding against kill buyers,” explains Jodi. “Kill buyers go to these auctions and they ship these animals to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered.”
When deciding which of the many animals at auction belong at Big Poppa Farms, Jodi relies on her intuition. “I have to feel it in my heart,” she says.
And when her intuition kicks in, there is no stopping Jodi, as evidenced by Red, a quarterhorse she purchased online from an auction on New Year’s Eve while at sea. “We were on a cruise ship and she’s on her phone watching an auction,” recalls Pete.
When Jodi saw Red, she knew he was the one. Pete didn’t want another horse at the time, but Jodi refused to take no for an answer. “I told him, you’re gonna gamble, I’m buying a horse,” laughs Jodi.
As Pete and Jodi acquired more animals, Jodi left her corporate job to focus on the farm full-time. “At that point, we were just doing stuff for us,” explains Pete. “Eventually, it evolved into a sanctuary.”
Among the animals that currently call Big Poppa Farms home are Cher, a miniature donkey so wild they had to hire a cowboy to help catch her, and Albert, another miniature donkey bonded to Cher. There’s also Zeus, the draft horse; Tortilla the tortoise who lives in a miniature replica of the main barn; and a black three-legged cat who underwent amputation after being shot in the leg but—incredibly—hasn’t lost her affection toward humans. There is also a lovable group of rabbits, pigs, dwarf ponies, miniature horses, and two bearded dragons.
Pete initially wanted the farm to remain private, but as the number of animals grew, so did the cost of running the farm. In order to keep their operation sustainable, Jodi and Pete decided to open their doors to the Parkland community in February of this year and filed for 501(c)(3) status, which was recently granted.
“I knew I wanted to do something with kids and the community and events,” exclaims Jodi, who was thrilled about opening Big Poppa Farms to the public.
This past summer, Jodi hosted her first summer learning experience for children. Instead of charging parents a fee, Jodi asked that the kids bring a food donation for the animals. “I think it’s more important that parents take the kids shopping and let them choose what food to bring from my list. Then they can see how we chop that food up and give it to the animals,” explains Jodi.
Despite their newfound nonprofit status, Jodi and Pete are not looking to become a huge entity. Instead, they are focused on making a positive impact in Parkland. “I want to become something for our community that people can enjoy, especially the children,” enthuses Jodi. “It’s so nice to see a child who may have been afraid of an animal eventually come up and hug it. You see a smile on their face they’re not going to get anywhere else in Parkland.”
For Pete, Big Poppa Farms is about compassion. “I don’t think there’s enough compassion in the world,” he reflects. “So if we can give a little bit of that here, that’s a good thing.”
Big Poppa Farms is open to the public by appointment only. They offer tours of the property, meet-and-greets with the animals, and seasonal events.
The farm is also available for private events, such as children’s birthday parties, and offers a unique venue in addition to an immaculate barn and menagerie of animals—an antique tearoom straight out of a little girl’s dream. The room, a nod to Jodi’s former antique business “She’s So Shabby,” comes complete with vintage costumes for dress-up, and a pair of bearded dragons with their own party outfits.
For more information about Big Poppa Farms, visit www.bigpoppafarms.com.
