A young bald eagle with a badly injured wing got a second chance at life this year after a Manatee County animal welfare officer answered a call, kicking off a monthslong rescue effort that ended with the bird soaring back into the wild. The eagle’s recovery leaned on a rare partnership between county field responders and the region’s only dedicated wildlife rehabilitation center.
Manatee County Animal Welfare Officer Jay Dixon responded to the initial call and later returned to Wildlife, Inc. Education & Rehabilitation Center to help release the eagle, according to a post from Manatee County Government. After Dixon’s initial response, the young eagle was transferred to the Bradenton Beach center, where Dr. Scott Rose and the rehabilitation team guided the bird through recovery and repaired its injured wing. Dixon and Animal Welfare Officer Supervisor Steve Bell later released the rehabilitated eagle back into the wild, completing a full-circle effort between the county’s field responders and the nonprofit’s medical staff.
From rescue to release. đŸ¦…Earlier this year, Manatee County Animal Welfare Officer Jay Dixon responded to a call involving a young bald eagle with a badly injured wing.The eagle was transferred to Wildlife,Inc. Education & Rehabilitation Center where Dr. Scott Rose and the… pic.twitter.com/j95xtzWBjG
— Manatee County Government (@ManateeGov) August 28, 2026
A County-Wide Safety Net for Injured Wildlife
Manatee County Animal Welfare officers work to protect animals throughout the county and coordinate specialized medical care and rehabilitation for wildlife that field officers alone cannot treat. That division has been building out its public presence lately: the county announced in June that it is opening a new Animal Welfare Resource Center to supplement its existing shelters in Palmetto, Cat Town, and the Bishop Animal Shelter, according to Manatee County Government. The county also launched a behind-the-scenes video series called P.A.W.S. in April, which has documented Officer Dixon’s field work, including his rescue of two bald eagles with wing injuries within a single week…