Manatee leases Palmetto animal shelter to a local nonprofit. What’s next?
The former Palmetto Animal Shelter will soon become a rehabilitation center for rescued seabirds.
Friends of the Pelicans Inc., a local nonprofit that rescues seabirds including pelicans, will take over the county-owned Palmetto shelter with the goal of increasing its capacity to serve and rescue wildlife. Manatee County commissioners unanimously approved the plans on Tuesday.
Manatee County Government is moving animal services operations to the Bishop Animal Shelter in Bradenton, which is creating the vacancy at the Palmetto Animal Shelter. The county started moving animals out of the shelter in late March, following the $12 million expansion of the Bishop Animal Shelter.
Jeanette Edwards, founder of Friends of the Pelicans (FOTP), said the organization rescues over 1,000 birds every year, many of them coming from incidents on the Skyway Fishing Pier. In 2021 — the group’s first year rescuing on the fishing pier — they rescued over 1,500 birds.
“This is something that we have desperately needed since starting our work on the Skyway Fishing Pier in 2021,” Edwards said at the commission meeting. “To have a seabird facility that is 10 minutes from the Skyway Fishing Pier would be incredible.”
Commissioners fully supported the decision to give FOTP the former shelter building, which they say has been an idea since 2024.
“It’s long overdue. I’m glad this day is finally here,” Commissioner George Kruse said.
Next steps for the seabird rehab center
The county will lease the space to Friends of the Pelicans for $1 per year until April 2027, until the group can get the necessary approvals from the county to take over the space permanently. The lease provides the space “as-is” and makes the organization responsible for any maintenance and improvements needed at the old shelter building.
“It became evident to us as the Palmetto Animal Shelter was going to be closed that an opportunity existed to retain this property and its fixtures for a nonprofit purpose … this organization has been in existence for many years, and they have always lacked a home for which rehabilitation and recovery can take place,” said Charlie Hunsicker, the county’s director of natural resources, said at the April 21 commission meeting.
While FOTP’s work focuses on injured and entangled pelicans, the organization rescues birds in need throughout Manatee County and surrounding areas.
Edwards said the group often faces issues when taking injured birds to other facilities like Save Our Seabirds in Sarasota, Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Pinellas County or the Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda.
Transporting birds to either of those facilities can be a two-to-three-hour roundtrip drive. Edwards added that, sometimes, those facilities can also be filled and unable to take birds.
“Not only is this a huge burden on our transporters, who are volunteers, but it’s very difficult on our seabirds as well,” Edwards said. “We have had many days where we were turned away from all three facilities and had to find a place to keep the pelicans overnight, praying that they would survive. And often, more than once, they did not make it until the morning.”
Praise for the seabird group
After hearing from Edwards, commissioners commended the work that FOTP does for local wildlife, and shared hope that having a dedicated facility can expand the group’s abilities.
“The work that you do for our wildlife, for our birds, is so important. I think it’s under-recognized,” Commissioner Amanda Ballard said.
Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state will soon reconstruct the Skyway fishing piers, including a total reconstruction of the pier on the south side and renovations to the existing pier on the Pinellas County side.
With those projects upcoming, Kruse said he anticipates it will increase the need for FOTP.
“You guys are going to do great things with this property. The proximity to what you need to do is tremendous, it’s going to allow you to help way, way more birds,” Kruse told Edwards at the commission meeting. “And with the governor talking about a new fishing pier and everything else up there, I believe your work is going to get bigger, not smaller in the coming years.”
