There’s rarely a quiet moment for Winnie Burns while she tends to the animals at Creature Safe Place on McCarty Road in Fort Pierce. In less than an hour’s time earlier this week, she took in a fawn, a blue jay, an owl, and a white dove. All had suffered some form of trauma and were in need of care before they can be released.
“I’ve been doing this most my life,” the 67-year-old said, pausing briefly during her work.
The fawn arrived shortly after 12 p.m. Monday following a two-hour ride from Wauchula. The fawn’s mother is believed to have been taken by a large gator in the lake near where the fawn was discovered. The baby, still nursing, was emaciated – its ribs protruding.
Burns noted that its ears were curled around the edges, a sign of dehydration.
Creature Safe Place has developed a reputation over its nearly 25 years as being the place to bring deer and other Florida critters that need help.
Burns grew up training and racing trotting horses. After having a child, she gave up horses to care for her daughter and took up a post at a hospital’s switch board. Over time, she became an emergency room technician.
At 40, she’d become burned out. Her husband, Bob Burns, told her to retire and gave her a critical piece of advice: “Make your hobby your life.”
“It’s the best thing I ever did,” she said, later adding, “he’s a dear sweetheart.”
Now, Bob is retired, too, and the couple spend their time tending to a revolving door of wounded animals and the few rental properties they own and manage.
“This is all we do,” Burns said.
Creature Safe Place is the go-to center for Port St. Lucie police’s animal control division, which was responsible for bringing in the blue jay and owl Monday.
The blue jay sustained a broken leg. The owl had a messed-up eye.
The facility is equipped with an animal hospital, which allows Burns to perform necessary care for injuries. How she would care for the two birds remained to be determined.
The facility sits on about 5 acres proper on McCarty Road and is a hodge-podge of buildings constructed of donated items by the Burnses own hands.
There are areas set aside specifically for deer, sandhill cranes, otter, fox, bobcats, tortoises, song birds, even sugar gliders and ferrets and other rodents. While Burns is loath to turn away an animal in need, she draws the line at roosters. They cause too much trouble at the sanctuary, she said.
Along with Animal Control and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Creature Safe Place works with SeaWorld Orlando, which brings injured or orphaned sandhill cranes for rehabilitation. Burns keeps a hands-off approach as much as possible with all the critters that could possibly be returned to the wild. The birds are not caged up – instead, she tosses their food about, forcing them to forage as they would in the wild.
Much of the complex runs on solar and wind energy and draws its water from an artesian well. The bulk of the food provided to the animals is grown on-site, including star fruit, passion fruit, guavas, mango and lemongrass. Wild peanuts are also being cultivated – a treat for the rehabilitating squirrels and birds.
This is a busier-than-usual time of year for the sanctuary given many young animals are beginning to spread their (proverbial) wings and wander. “They’re like toddlers” and make the wrong decision, Burns said.
Though Burns is approaching the big 7-0, she’s not anywhere near ready to slow down or hand the reins over to someone else. At least, not yet. “It’ll be a while,” she said. Burns’ plan is to retire from Creature Safe Place at 75, so she has a few more years ahead of her.
Five years ago, all of what Winnie and Bob were doing was in their own backyard. But that changed after a phone call from an attorney representing a woman’s estate. The woman, known only as Sonia, left a sizable chunk of money to Creature Safe Place.
The Burnses used the funds to buy property nearby and moved the sanctuary out of their yard.
“It’s a matter of having people believe in what you’re doing,” Burns said, later adding that they never did figure out how Sonia knew of Creature Safe Place or what the connection between them might have been.
Creature Safe Place is different from other animal rehabilitation facilities, according to Burns. Where some are allowed to have the public walk through and see the animals, Winnie’s place can’t.
The permits and authorizations she has prohibits the exhibition of the animals. No tours are granted.
For that reason, no visitors are allowed – only those who are dropping off a sick or injured creature. And the veterinarians who provide assistance by making house calls.
Dr. Patrick Kelly of Kelly’s Animal Hospital and Dr. Laurie Aleixo of Prima Vista Animal Care both provide services for little or no cost to the wildlife at Creature Safe Place.
Burns said she often gets asked how people can help Creature Safe Place. “Give me your wallet!” she jokes. In all seriousness, she said donations of needed items are more helpful. “We can’t get enough bugs,” she said, which are used to feed any number of animals at the facility. And cleaning supplies – “You never stop cleaning,” Burns said.
Anyone who wishes to make a donation is encouraged to contact Creature Safe Place via Facebook at www.facebook.com/creaturesafeplace.
