EAST MANATEE -- At the height of the Southwest Florida real estate boom, the Humane Society of Manatee County spent almost $500,000 on a new headquarters in eastern Manatee County.

The nonprofit group planned a homey adoption center that would allow it to care for more animals and cater to the influx of affluent residents in the fast-growing area.

But the society has closed the site after a three-month trial opening produced barely more than a dozen adoptions. Officials said the location, about eight miles east of Interstate 75, was too remote to be viable and would not save many animals' lives.

"There just isn't enough out there to support it," said Board President Jill Clulow. "I think when they purchased that several years ago, the market was very different; I don't think anyone predicted how the market would slow."

The decision marks a shift in the agency's focus from care toward prevention. It is preparing to begin low-cost and free spay and neutering programs to try to reduce Manatee's population of stray and feral cats and dogs. About 1,000 unwanted animals are taken into shelters every month. Roughly 400 of them end up being euthanized.

"It was a very difficult decision for us," said executive director Donna Stiteler. "We had to ask what would save the most lives? A facility in a rural area or redirecting our energies into spay/neutering animals."

The 2004 purchase of the land on the corner of State Road 70 and County Road 675 was a major outlay for the non-profit group, which relies on donations and sponsorships.

Plans were drawn up to convert a barn-like old general store to a modern adoption shelter that would have fewer cages and more open areas for animals. The five-acre site would have given abandoned pets lots of space to roam and exercise.

The society also hoped to boost its income with a members-only dog park and by boarding animals.

But a new board of directors decided the site was not viable after reviewing adoption figures and a feasibility study.

The center was yielding just two adoptions a week. The group's Bradenton center averages 200 a month.

The society plans to keep the site as a standby shelter for animals for this year's hurricane season. After that, it may be leased or sold.

About $50,000 was raised to pay for the renovation of the barn. Major donors have been told of the decision and been offered their money back, Stiteler said. None has taken up the offer.

The closure of the East Manatee center leaves the group stuck in the cramped facility on 14th Street West in Bradenton that has been its home since about 1986.

The building is old and needs constant maintenance. The air-conditioning units do not work well. The surrounding neighborhood has few places where volunteers can walk dogs safely.

As it often is, the center was full this week, housing about 42 dogs and 100 cats. Another 150 animals are staying in "foster" homes.

"When we're full, we're full. We can't do a lot about that," Stiteler said. "We obviously need a new facility. The question is: Where can we go?"

Society officials estimate there are about 65,000 feral cats in Manatee County. The society is overrun with kittens during the late spring and summer when cats typically have their litters. The society hopes a program to spay and neuter feral cats for free will gradually reduce their numbers.

A similar service is also being planned for pit bulls. The breed is the hardest to find homes for because of its association with dog fighting and its reputation for aggressive behavior.

The society also plans to offer a low-cost spay/neutering service for low-income families who cannot afford to pay veterinarian fees.

"These are big steps for us," Stiteler said. "The board wants to be able to stand up and say: Every healthy, adoptable animal in Manatee County has a home."

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