Jeanne Selander oversees the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm at the Stock Island Detention Center — believed to be the United States’ only facility of its kind on jailhouse property — and the care of 150 animals including 17-year-old Mo the Sloth.
The engaging and photogenic sloth Mo is definitely the animal farm’s best known resident. (Photo by Ralph De Palma)
Jeanne grew up on James Island near Charleston, South Carolina. As a child, she nurtured a small menagerie of animals and got her first pony at age 7. She was an equestrian team member at the College of Charleston.
During the past 15 years, “Farmer Jeannie” has mentored more than 1,500 low-risk detention center inmates who assist her with animal care. While the farm is a USDA-certified zoo, it’s really more of a sanctuary for abused, neglected and abandoned animals that become “forever residents.”
Animal farm charges include an ostrich, an emu, lemurs, kinkajous, horses and countless others. Jeanne has done five solo caretaking stints of two to four weeks each during the pandemic.
Through the years, she’s spent nights hunkered down in a sleeping bag in an on-site shed during approaching storms. She’s coaxed horses and alpacas onto an elevator in the detention center, where the animals were sheltered in cells (the inmates were evacuated) and under her solo care during and after 2017’s Hurricane Irma.
Jeanne, who admits she gets bored quickly, has trained horses and been a scuba diving instructor, environmental consultant, shrimp farmer on an aquaculture farm and zoo aquarium diver — as well as working at the Key West Aquarium.
Jeanne is also dedicated to rescuing senior dogs and giving them a loving “forever home.”
Eventually, Florida Keys veterinarian Dr. Doug Mader convinced her to accompany him on rounds at the sheriff’s facility. It got its start in 1994, when a deputy suggested moving neighborhood ducks to a space underneath the jail to protect them from traffic, and evolved as residents dropped off various animals.
Jeanne saw its potential and today is dedicated to sharing it with others.
The farm, which survives primarily on donations, is currently closed but the reopening date is to be announced soon. Meanwhile, “Farmer Jeannie” is spearheading facility upgrades.
But her dedication to animals doesn’t just infuse her professional life. In her spare time, Jeanne fosters and provides hospice care for senior Chihuahuas — and currently has seven Chihuahuas and one Yorkshire terrier.
Keys Voices: When did you first come to the Florida Keys and why?
Jeanne Selander: In 1992, for a coral reef biology class while at the College of Charleston. I moved to the Keys in 1998 with a degree in marine biology, and was the assistant curator of the Key West Aquarium for seven years.
KV: What aspects of the Keys environment or way of life matter most to you?
Jeanne, seen here providing Mo a “sloth treat,” hopes to instill a passion for saving animals into the minds of people she encounters.
JS: My favorite aspect is that we are rather isolated. I love the small, close-knit community — that we help each other out and, no matter where you go, you always see someone you know. The best part is that this is such an animal-loving community.
KV: What inspired you to become passionate about respecting and protecting the Keys?
JS: The beauty and uniqueness of the Keys is what inspires me to protect it — the mangrove islands, the coral reef and its diverse array of marine life, and our native wildlife, several of which are endangered species.
KV: How does that passion influence your work?
JS: I strive to educate others, especially children, about the uniqueness and fragility of our flora and fauna.
KV: What are some of the ways that you help protect the local environment?
JS: Through constant outreach and education.
KV: What keeps you energized, challenged and focused on your path?
Creatures from commonplace to exotic are cared for at the animal farm by Jeanne and the low-risk detention center inmates who assist her.
JS: I’m always challenged, but it’s not just a job. It’s my passion; it’s a labor of love. It’s something I do that matters and makes a difference every single day, not only in the lives of the animals but also the inmates and our community.
KV: What do you hope your positive environmental actions will accomplish?
JS: I hope that others will develop a passion for saving animals, protecting our local environment and helping those in need.
KV: What message do you want your actions and example to communicate to people you encounter?
JS: My mission for the farm is to advocate for being responsible pet parents by spaying and neutering your pets, keeping in mind that animals are not disposable — they are a commitment for THEIR lifetime. At the farm, I practice what I preach. When animals arrive here, they are home.
KV: What’s your favorite natural or eco-friendly activity in the Keys?
JS: Rescuing senior dogs. I take in those that no one wants, that either have behavioral or chronic health issues. I care for those that need a safe place to land for their final days, and I promise to give them only their best days.
