MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — A wildlife center in Madeira Beach is scrambling once again to find a temporary home after spending seven months in a location following a deadly fire at their original building.

What You Need To Know

  • The Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center is looking for a new temporary space for their animals 

  • The original building was destroyed in a fire in July and has since been operating out of an empty bank

  • Construction for their space was supposed to only take eight weeks, but seven months later, they're still nowhere near ready to move back in

  • Sonny Flynn, the center's owner, is hoping someone in the community can help them find a new temporary space

The Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center lost more than 100 animals in a fire in July, and now the center’s 160 animals need a new place to stay.

This was a job Sonny Flynn, the center’s owner, essentially created for herself after stepping away from her career as a chef in the hotel industry.

“I was diagnosed with my third bout of cancer,” Flynn said, “and the doctors told me to find a stress-free drug. So, I did. I created one.”

And it was stress free until the July 13 fire.

“I haven't had a chance to grieve,” said Flynn. “My staff hasn't had a chance to grieve, and none of us want to give up.”

Which is why they felt so fortunate in August when some members of the Madeira Beach community let the center use an empty bank as a temporary space, covering utilities and other expenses in the process while the destroyed facility was rebuilt.

Originally, they thought it would only take about eight weeks. Instead, it’s been seven months, and the building is nowhere near ready.

“They haven't even started construction,” Flynn said.

It’s why Flynn is reaching out to the community for help because they’re moving out of this space at the end of March, but they don’t have a new space lined up.

According to Flynn, they’re looking for something about 2,000 square feet that has working power and water.

“I feel like there's a lot of things on my shoulders that I need to take care of, and I need to be strong for everybody and the animals, too,” Flynn said.

Overcoming obstacles hasn’t stopped Flynn in the past and she says it won’t stop her or her staff now.

According to Flynn, they have to move out of their temporary space by March 31.

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