Children's Animal Farm
The Animal Farm is open, free of charge, the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 1
to 3 p.m. Community and school groups may schedule special tours at the farm.
(Please note: private tours for the general public are not available.) For
more information:
Visit the Sheriff's Office Children's Animal Farm
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office Children's Animal Farm is located on the grounds of the
Monroe County Sheriff's Office Stock Island Detention Center, at 5501 College Road in Key
West. (The Sheriff's Office Headquarters building and a State Department of Juvenile
Justice holding facility are also located in the same complex.) The farm was started in 1994 in an open area underneath the jail facility. The Stock
Island Detention Center was built to withstand a Category Five Hurricane, and is built on
stilts, about 11 feet above the ground. Underneath the building is employee parking, and a
secure fenced area used for the evacuation of inmates in the case of a fire. It was in
this evacuation area, initially a graveled area not used for anything else, that the farm
was started.
Check out our newest arrivals!
The farm began as a haven for homeless animals. The first inhabitants were Muscovy ducks
and a group of chickens which were plaguing a nearby golf course and were being killed on
a regular basis by vehicles traveling on the road leading to the jail. A short time after
the chickens and ducks were brought to the area, the SPCA in Miami called and asked if the
facility would have space for a blind horse they had found abandoned in their area. Using
inmate labor, a pen was created for the horse, who was christened Angel, and the animal
farm was born. Since, it has blossomed into a beautiful park, complete with an large
aviary, reptile exhibit, rabbit warren, farm animals and other domestic and exotic animal
species.
The Sheriff's Office Animal Farm features all sorts of animals, both the traditional farm
animals like miniature horses, chickens, pigs, goats and rabbits as well as exotic animals
kinkajou, lemurs, capybara, coatimundi, alpaca, skunks, foxes, armadillos, an albino Burmese
python, peacocks and tropical birds. Many of the animals have come from abusive or
neglectful homes, or have been donated by people who simply cannot care for them any longer.
Farmer Selander oversees a crew of inmates from the detention center who care for the
animals and who also benefit from the experience. They receive formal training in some
aspects of animal husbandry which they may be able to use once they are released from the
facility. At the very least, they learn to work closely with many creatures in need of the
compassion and caring of a human being - an experience which cannot help but be a positive
factor in their lives.
The farm and it's operations are overseen by a paid employee - currently Farmer Jeanne
Selander - who manages the animal park. Selander hails from Charleston, South Carolina. She
moved to the Keys in 1998 to take the job of Assistant Curator at the Key West Aquarium. She
has a B.A. in Biology from the College of Charleston. She says she came here for the job - and
the weather.
Farmer Jeanne has set up a wishlist on Amazon of items needed by the farm or the
animals. If you would like to donate an item,
Farmer Jeanne also maintains a Facebook page dedicated to the Farm.