Local animal advocacy group, Florida Voices for Animals (FVA), opposes sale of Hammock Park land to developer

Florida Voices for Animals (FVA) is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit animal advocacy organization. FVA recently became aware of the controversy surrounding the potential sale of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church's land adjacent to Hammock Park to Taylor Morrison Homes. Along with the Dunedin community, FVA is expressing our adamant opposition to the sale due to expectations that the land will be developed into a housing development. As more land in Dunedin gets developed, there are fewer spaces for people to gather in natural outdoor settings and fewer places for wildlife to live peacefully. This is particularly important for the land in question given that it contains a population of gopher tortoises. As you may know, gopher tortoises are a threatened species in Florida and it would be tragic for them to lose their homes and their lives.

In Laudato Si, Pope Francis' letter to the Catholic Church on caring for the environment, Pope Francis covered a wide array of issues including our treatment and view of animals. FVA hopes the Church considers his statements prior to selling the land to Taylor Morrison Homes:

"We are not God...[N]owadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God's image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures."

"In our time, the Church does not simply state that other creatures are completely subordinated to the good of human beings, as if they have no worth in themselves and can be treated as we wish."

"[W]hen our hearts are authentically open to universal communion, this sense of fraternity excludes nothing and no one. It follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings."

"Every act of cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity."

Given the Catholic Church's position on the importance of animals and the earth, we urge the Church to find an alternative to selling their land to this developer. It is our understanding that the City of Dunedin would welcome another opportunity to purchase it in order to formally make it part of Hammock Park. We sincerely hope the Church reconsiders this sale and finds an alternative resolution that protects the land, animals, and community that the Church supports. FVA looks forward to hearing from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Thank you for your compassion.

Many thanks,

Kimberly Gronemeyer, FVA Board member on behalf of Florida Voices for Animals