Bishop plans to come ‘full circle’ by donating animal shelter to Manatee County
Manatee County’s status as a regional leader in humane animal care is about to get a multi-million upgrade thanks to the donation of a brand new facility.
The Mary E. Parker Foundation, which runs the Bishop Animal Shelter in west Bradenton, is putting together an agreement to donate the entire operation to Manatee, citing the government’s longstanding no-kill practice and a desire to shift the focus of their philanthropy.
“The county has what we think is a really good animal program,” said Bob Blalock, managing trustee for the foundation.
The foundation’s namesake passed away last March at the age of 108. Parker was the adopted child of Edward and Lillian Bishop, who became rich by providing barrels for oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller. She committed her life to donating millions of dollars to local nonprofits in the Bradenton area.
“She just lived to give away money. There’s nobody like her that I’ve ever been associated with,” Blalock said. “Mr. and Mrs. Bishop were wonderful animal lovers.”
Now, on the heels of a $10 million expansion at the Bishop Animal Shelter, the county stands to benefit from Parker’s generosity. In order to provide more money to other nonprofits, the foundation is stepping away from animal welfare and planning to donate the shelter to Manatee.
“We started our no-kill policy in 2011 and reached that 90 percent save rate a few years ago. They’ve been watching that and they were very impressed,” said Commissioner Carol Whitmore, an animal advocate. “To have them entrust us with such an asset, I was totally shocked.”
In 2020, the county shelter took in 2,472 cats and dogs and achieved a 93 percent save rate. The shelter was able to adopt out 1,127 cats and dogs and transfer an additional 665 to other animal rescue groups. There were also 487 cats and dogs returned to their owners.
There were 161 animals euthanized during 2020.
Last month, the shelter had a 96 percent save rate. Currently, the shelter has 16 cats and 61 dogs, but Animal Services staff are working on getting most of the adoption dogs into foster homes so they can begin plumbing repairs in the kennel, according to Animal Services Chief Sarah Brown.
Blalock said the county’s success means the Bishop Animal Shelter, 5718 21st Ave. W., will be transferred to a responsible owner with a true commitment to rescuing animals. By handing off the operation, the Mary E. Parker Foundation will be able to support other nonprofits in the area.
“The way we see it, we’re doing the same thing,” Blalock added. “It frees up money to give other Manatee County nonprofits. This saves us around $1.5 million a year in operating costs. It’s one of the few things that’s a win-win.”
Manatee County’s Animal Services original building was built around 1940 and it wasn’t until 1988 that their operation moved into three new buildings at 305 25th St. W., Palmetto. The original shelter was later demolished.
The county has also begun to discuss expanding its Animal Services operation by building its own $10 million facility in East Manatee to meet the demand of the rapidly developing community. The proposed donation also would include the architectural plans for Bishop’s new facility, giving the county the opportunity to duplicate it without heading back to the drawing board.
Bishop expects to open its new state-of-the-art facility by the end of the month. In an interview with Keith Pratt, executive director of the organization, he said he expects the 25,000-square-foot center to satisfy the county’s need to replace the existing shelter that has been riddled with issues in recent years.
The facility is outfitted with surgical equipment, intensive care units and other amenities that support the county’s no-kill mission. No-kill shelters aim to place more than 90 percent of adoptable animals in homes. Manatee has consistently hit that goal since 2017.
“It speaks volumes because you’re trying to save as many animals as you can,” Pratt explained. “If they’re adoptable and there’s healthy, there’s no reason to euthanize.”
According to a draft agreement, the county would also receive Bishop’s existing animal shelter and absorb Bishop’s existing employees.
Whitmore believes Bishop’s proposal is only possible because of the county’s decade-long efforts to save as many animals as possible. She recalled the Bishop family’s first foray into the business of sheltering animals.
“In the ‘40s, the Bishops came to the county and wanted to give the county money to take care of the animals, but when they saw how we were taking care of them, they decided not to give them the money and they built their own,” Whitmore said. “Now they want us to be a part of that, so it’s kind of come full circle.”
Bishop’s proposed contract is subject to legal review and will be considered for approval by the Manatee Board of County Commissioners at a later date.
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 4:44 PM.
