Island Dolphin Care

Jean Strickland, owner of Signature Source, knew she wanted Signature Source to support Island Dolphin Care after seeing a special on the Today show. She visited with the founders of Dolphin Island Care, Deena and Peter Hoagland, and after learning about how they initially formed Island Dolphin Care for their son, Joe, in 1997 there was no doubt in her mind that Signature Source would provide support for the organization.

Island Dolphin Care is a unique not-for-profit organization that provides animal-assisted (dolphin), therapeutic, motivational, and educational therapy programs to children, adults with special needs, and their families and caregivers. Through these interactive programs, education, and research, participants are inspired to value and respect marine mammals and their environment.

“After visiting Island Dolphin Care, meeting the dolphins, and learning more about their mission to inspire hope for those facing life’s inexplicable challenges, a commitment to support Island Dolphin Care was obvious,” said Strickland. “Signature Source has provided support through annual donations and quarterly support for Island Dolphin Care’s Customer Management System for over 16 years now,” she said.

There are currently eight dolphins at Island Dolphin Care, where they live in the warm ocean waters of Key Largo, Florida and experience zero exploitation e.g. dolphin shows or other displays of animal-driven entertainment. The dolphins are part of Island Dolphin Care’s various programs, which include therapies for people with autism, developmental disabilities, and veterans; experiences such as dolphin yoga, painting with dolphins, and dolphin floats; and educational opportunities including internships, research help, field trips, and marine science education programs.

So what can you do to help? You can donate your money to Island Dolphin Care here, which will go towards providing the ongoing care required to sustain the stability of the dolphins throughout the course of their lives, as well as continuing to provide families with an experience they will cherish forever. The dolphins at Island Dolphin Care eat up to 200 pounds of fish daily, so a $35 donation will provide one bucket of fish for a dolphin. Because the dolphins have been raised in captivity, it would be irresponsible to return them back to the wild as they have not learned the skills to survive in that kind of environment, thus, they need to have the care and maintenance provided at Island Dolphin Care.

In addition, you can shop for Island Dolphin Care gear, such as shirts and water bottles, or purchase gift cards or dolphin experience gift certificates.

You can learn more about Island Dolphin Care on their website and get the word out by sharing from the Island Dolphin Care’s social media platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.