At the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center in Tavernier, last summer was the toughest for funding in nearly 20 years, and operators say the center, which cares for sick and injured birds, may close if money doesn’t start flowing in soon.</p><p>“People are not coming in and the foundations have cut back,” said Bruce Horn, the center’s manager. </p><p>The center at mile marker 93 bayside needs about $350,000 a year to care for the hundreds of birds, many with serious injuries, admitted every year. </p><p>It’s been receiving about $3,000 a month, said Horn, with the exception of August, when it received a hefty $35,000 donation. If donations don’t markedly increase, to the tune of at least $30,000 a month, Horn said the survival of the center and the birds themselves are at risk.</p><p>The center had to lay off four of nine staff members. Horn said he stopped receiving a salary.</p><p>“I technically laid off myself, since I already have income from social security and my pension. We laid off from the top down,” Horn said.</p><p>But the person who stands to lose the most if the center closes down is founder Laura Quinn, a retired teacher who started the operation almost 20 years ago. Horn said Quinn took out a reverse mortgage on her home a few years ago to keep the center going, but the strategy didn’t go far enough. </p><p>Horn also said that creditors who used to forgive debt to allow the center to keep operating have begun to signal that they can no longer afford to be so generous because of the country’s economic meltdown.</p><p>“Creditors who stood by us through the years are squawking that ‘this is tough on us too,’ and we understand that,” Horn said. </p><p>Horn said something has to be done quick. He said he worries because seasonal residents with deep pockets are historically charitable donors, but the season is still more than a month away.</p><p>“There’s so much wealth in the Upper Keys, but much of it’s not here during this part of the year,” he said. </p><p>To make matters worse, there is a chance Quinn could lose the mortgage if the center does not move its office soon.</p><p>To maintain FEMA flood insurance, the center was told by the federal agency that it must move its small office because it is located below the flood zone on the 5.5-acre property. If the office is not moved, the center will not be able to keep its FEMA flood insurance, and without insurance, the bank will call the mortgage, Horn said. </p><p>No matter what happens, Horn said he and Quinn appreciate the local support the center has received through the years. He said many residents have heard and read that the center is in trouble and have tried to help.</p><p>“The community’s response has been wonderful so far,” Horn said.