MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — A year has passed since a fire at John's Pass Village destroyed a beloved wildlife center.
“July 13th was the worst day of my life,” said Sonny Flynn, the Founder and CEO of the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center. “At 4:00 in the morning, they came out and told me all my animals were dead, and I had a panic attack and hit the ground.”
Last July, a fire caused significant damage and killed dozens of animals at the center in Madeira Beach.
ABC Action News caught up with Flynn a month later in August 2023, when they had moved to a temporary home down the road from their original location.
“It’s been a successful year for us because I measure success in the animals that we can save, so we’ve taken in 52 new animals,” said Flynn.
A lot has changed since then: it’s been bustling with visitors taking in and interacting with all the animals in their habitats.
“We’ve done the best that we can with the space that we have,” said Flynn. “We thought it was going to be 8 weeks. It’s now a year.”
Flynn said they’re hoping to be back in John's Pass, but they’re not 100 percent sure when that’s going to happen.
“The insurance has tied it up a lot, and that’s not my insurance, the landlord’s insurance, and now we’re in the permitting phases of contractors, architects, so we’re in a limbo stage because we’re renters,” said Flynn. “We still have hope that John's Pass is going to be what our home is, but there’s alternatives. We just can’t be here, and we want a permanent home.”
Still, she’s grateful to the unwavering support, knowing they’ll come out of this tragedy stronger than ever.
“Our place is going to be bigger, better, best, and I know the dream is there, and it’s within grasp,” said Flynn.
The center is always looking for volunteers and donations. They’ll also be having a fundraiser called "Rising from the Ashes" on August 3 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information, click here.
