Doc Ford’s Jungle Terrace employees volunteer at SPCA Tampa Bay

Employees from Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille in Jungle Terrace recently spent two days volunteering at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Tampa Bay, helping improve the nonprofit’s St. Petersburg campus and enhance enrichment areas for shelter animals. Eighteen team members installed mulch, planted native Florida species, refreshed portions of the property and assisted with animal care activities.
“Supporting organizations that make a difference in our community is important to our team,” said Dustin Rickards, general manager of Doc Ford’s Jungle Terrace location. “SPCA Tampa Bay provides critical care for thousands of animals each year, and our employees were proud to contribute their time and effort to support that mission.”
The volunteer effort builds on the restaurant’s ongoing support of SPCA Tampa Bay. Last year, Doc Ford’s donated $1,165 through a hurricane relief fundraiser and specialty cocktail promotions benefiting the organization.
An independent animal welfare agency founded in 1940, SPCA Tampa Bay is the only nonprofit open-admission, for-all animal shelter in Pinellas County. The organization annually cares for nearly 8,000 animals surrendered by their owners along with injured wildlife, providing immunizations, medical care and enrichment. To learn more, visit spcatampabay.org.
The volunteer project is one of several community service initiatives undertaken by the Jungle Terrace team. Employees have partnered with Keep Pinellas Beautiful on improvement projects at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and the historic Palm Harbor Museum. Team members have also participated in beach cleanups and organized a toy drive in December.
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and parent company HM Restaurant Group have a long history of philanthropy and community outreach, assisting local charitable groups committed to conservation, community, education and the environment. With locations on Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach, Jungle Terrace and the St. Petersburg Pier, the restaurants have raised $140,000 for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers through $1 donations from the sale of select cocktails.
A similar drink program funds Captains For Clean Water’s commitment to protect the health of the Florida Everglades and Florida Bay. The “Ding” Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament, founded in 2012, has donated over $2 million for conservation and water-quality research at Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge national refuge. The 15th annual tournament is May 7, 2027.
Renowned for its legendary guest experience, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The award-winning restaurant offers food with a unique balance of flavors inspired by the Caribbean Rim. Beloved for its sauces, spices and popular Yucatán shrimp served daily, it’s highly regarded by locals and visitors alike as a spectacular seafood restaurant. Doc Ford’s is a perennial Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner. The St. Petersburg Pier restaurant was named the nation’s No. 1 restaurant for Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats in 2023.