This roseate spoonbill was a resident of the sanctuary at the time of this photo, before ownership changed. Credit: Flickr/Andrea Westmoreland

This roseate spoonbill was a resident of the sanctuary at the time of this photo, before ownership changed. Credit: Flickr/Andrea Westmoreland
The pelicans, cormorants and albatrosses that populate a beachfront bird sanctuary in northern Pinellas County have for years hung in the balance as the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, with the 45-year-old nonprofit's founder Ralph Heath at the helm, attempted, apparently unsuccessfully, to fend off various scandals and financial meltdowns.

But after years of all kinds of trouble, the sanctuary is now under new ownership and has rebranded itself as the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary as a result of a lawsuit that aimed to dissolve the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary earlier this year, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The new ownership took over Sept. 1.

Since then, according to a media release, new ownership, staff and volunteers have undertaken significant renovations, including "new outdoor enclosure netting, repairs to the fence perimeter, new signage and general cleanup."

“All the improvements we have done and continue to do will ensure a comfortable and welcoming environment for all of our guests; both the avian kind and human visitors,” said Andrew von Gontard, president of Seaside Seabird Sanctuary and also Heath's son. “Since we took over operations, we have been working hard to enrich our community partnerships and build our outreach so we can help even more birds in the future.”

Controversies had plagued the bird rescue and rehabilitation center that once was the largest facility of its kind, from the questionable purchase of a luxury yacht for "research" to an outside entity using the site for photo shoots involving underage girls. In 2014, state authorities cited Heath on dozens of counts of neglect of animals in his care. The prior November, he was arrested on charges of workers' comp fraud.

While Heath had blamed the controversy on a developer-led conspiracy to take over the beachfront land and profit heavily from it, the new ownership/management is trying to demonstrate otherwise, namely through its partnership with other groups in the area, such as Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue. 

In announcing the sanctuary's rebranding, the new management also sought to underscore the facility's need for donations to help it take care of the more than 100 birds it's currently helping. Among needed equipment are an X-ray machine to better diagnose sick and injured birds, a utility van to aid in rescue and release efforts and "assistance in updating their pool systems."

The sanctuary is holding a grand opening in January of 2017.

This article appears in Nov 24 – Dec 1, 2016.