Humane Society of the Treasure Coast breaks ground on shelter renovation during 70th anniversary celebration

The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast this week announced it has broken ground on a planned renovation of its Palm City shelter, the organization's president said, as the group marked its 70th anniversary.

Frank Valente, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, said the project will add a new adoption center and intake center, expand animal housing with "double cat condos" and "double dog kennels," and renovate the critter and customer-service areas. "The mission of the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast is to provide compassionate care and nurture the bond between people and their pets," Valente said.

The renovation is intended to increase the shelter's capacity and modernize spaces used for adoption, intake and community programs. Valente described the project as the culmination of several years of planning that was reassessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also credited the design team Animal Arts, noted in remarks as an architectural firm recommended by the University of Florida Shelter Veterinary Medical School, and the general contractor Team Parks (named in remarks as Ryan Strom and Brett Zurich).

Valente and other speakers listed several community funders and donors who supported the project. Frank Valente named the Farish Foundation and Brian Kennedy, donors Frank and Millie Savastano (whose play area is already on site), Bob Ernst (whose late wife Patricia will be honored in the spay/neuter lobby), the DeLuca Foundation, Sean Kelly and Paul Fisinger, and the Community Foundation of Martin and St. Lucie Counties and Elizabeth Barbella. Valente thanked volunteers, staff and board members who attended, and recognized local officials who were present or sent remarks.

Valente provided operational figures for the shelter during his remarks: he said the organization adopted close to 2,500 animals a year, spays and neuters more than 4,000 animals annually, and delivers services to more than 8,000 animals each year in Martin County. He also described the shelter as a "no-kill" facility and gave two percentages during the event, saying at one point "97% of the animals that come to our shelter leave the shelter into good homes" and later saying "95% of the animals that come to the shelter leave the shelter into new homes." The remarks did not reconcile the two percentages.

Valente also described the organization’s workforce and volunteer base: he said the shelter has about 60 employees, more than 400 volunteers, and that volunteers contribute roughly 44,000 hours per year. He added that roughly 40% of employees have been with the organization 10 years or more and 25% five years or more.

The organization said the remodel will sit alongside recent and existing services, including a spay/neuter clinic and a thrift store that opened last year in Stuart. Valente said the Humane Society maintains an annual services contract with Martin County; details of the contract were not provided during the ceremony.

Valente invited the public to a 70th-anniversary event the organization plans to hold on May 17 and asked for community donations and support as the shelter moves into construction. No construction timeline or budget figures were disclosed during the remarks.

Attendees and speakers at the groundbreaking included local officials and organizational representatives who were named during remarks. Valente thanked Martin County Commissioner Ed Campe and Commissioner Blake Capps, representatives from the Stewart Police Department, the Martin County Tax Collector's Office, the Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce and members of the humane society's board and donor community. The shelter’s communications manager, Sarah Fisher, opened the program and announced the groundbreaking.

The renovation is presented by the humane society as a locally run, independent nonprofit project; Valente emphasized that the local humane society operates separately from any national oversight body. He encouraged community members to reach out for donation and volunteer opportunities and said staff from the community outreach team would be available after the event.

Planning and fundraising were described as multiyear efforts that involved a range of private donors and foundations; the speakers did not present project cost, formal permitting status, or an estimated construction completion date during the public remarks.