Manatee’s Bishop Animal Shelter set to open major expansion. What’s inside?
The Bishop Animal Shelter in Bradenton is set to unveil part of a major $12 million expansion to its animal care facility on Wednesday.
This newly improved shelter will become the “primary hub for animal care,” a press release from Manatee County Government says, moving the majority of operations away from the Palmetto campus.
“This expansion, we’ve been looking forward to it for quite some time,” Michael Strollo, the county’s communications coordinator for Community and Veterans Services, told the Bradenton Herald. “We’re really excited to have everything in one location.”
The expanded kennel space set to open this week is part one of the shelter’s expansion. The second part, a new administration and adoption building, is still under construction, with completion expected in July 2026, according to county spokesman Bill Logan.
The entire expansion has a guaranteed maximum cost of approximately $12 million, Logan said.
Bishop Shelter expansion adds capacity, safety features
The new side of the shelter includes eight kennel buildings, each with a housing capacity of 15 dogs — increasing the shelter’s maximum capacity by about 120 dogs.
The shelter’s existing 24,000 square-foot medical center features 52 kennels that will stay in use to house additional dogs, Strollo said.
The expanded shelter also includes several outdoor recreational yards for the dogs, each equipped with water spigots, fences and cemented bases to prevent the dogs from digging out. The fences are topped with rolling bars, an anti-climb device designed to keep coyotes out.
Additional safety features include security cameras and wash stations aimed at increasing cleanliness and mitigating the dogs’ risks of viral infections.
“When our animals are out enjoying that enrichment time, getting exercise, they are protected to the highest extent that we possibly could have,” Strollo said.
Shelter expansion gives dogs more freedom to roam
Strollo says that these new play yards are also meant to increase the quality of recreational time the dogs enjoy.
“Having larger play yards and more play yards than our current Palmetto shelter is going to give these animals the ability to enjoy enrichment,” Strollo said.
In the new side of the shelter, dogs have permanent access to both indoor and outdoor kennel areas using a dog door. The door itself is double-hinged, according to Strollo, which keeps the outdoor elements out and the air conditioning in.
Furthermore, each kennel employs removable partitions, so if exceptionally large dogs or two bonded dogs require an enlarged space, the separating walls can be taken out by simply removing a few bolts and screws.
“Our kennels are meant for a space of recovery and resting,” he continued.
Bishop Animal Shelter exceeds no-kill standards
The Bishop Animal Shelter is a no-kill shelter. In order to be considered a no-kill operation, a shelter must have a 90% live-outcome rate over the course of a year, according to the Best Friends Animal Society.
Florida’s average rate of live-outcomes was 88% in 2024, according to the University of Florida.
According to Strollo, the Bishop shelter saw a live-outcome rate of just under 97% in November, and has consistently been well above the threshold rate.
Strollo attributes much of the shelter’s successful rate to its volunteers as well as the shelter’s nonprofit partner, Friends of Manatee County Animal Services.
“I absolutely love being able to collaborate with community partners and organizations,” Strollo said. “Our volunteers do an incredible job.”
As for what he hopes the community gains from the newly expanded shelter, Strollo says he wants anyone who visits to find a new addition to their family.
“I hope they come and find their forever friend,” Strollo told the Bradenton Herald. “That’s the end goal here.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 5:50 AM.