Are animal advocates ‘unreasonable?’ UF shares Bishop shelter expansion review
After a third-party review of Manatee County’s Bishop Animal Shelter expansion, the Manatee County Commission chairman said animal advocates are becoming “unreasonable.”
After the Bishop Animal Shelter unveiled its $12 million expansion in December, animal advocates took to the Manatee County Board of Commissioners meetings to tell board members that this expansion has “fallen short of the mark.”
The animal advocates, many of them longtime volunteers, said they had concerns about the noise level inside the prefabricated dog kennels, the size of the kennels, and staff safety at Bishop, 5718 21st Ave. W., Bradenton.
During a commissioners’ meeting in February, the board voted to consult with the University of Florida’s Shelter Medicine Program to address animal advocates’ concerns.
But the university’s review did not echo the complaints from the advocates who criticized the expansion. Instead, the veterinary program gave recommendations about how the shelter could improve its design to mitigate the spread of animal disease and maintain the safety of volunteers and staff.
UF shares results of Bishop shelter review
The Board of County Commissioners met again on Tuesday to discuss the UF program’s findings.
Manatee County staff presented on the current status of the Bishop shelter’s expansion, as well as the UF Shelter Medicine Program’s analysis.
According to the county’s presentation, the Shelter Medicine Program showed strong support for some measures that were already being implemented, such as the shade structures adjacent to the dog runs and along the sidewalk, fencing around dog run areas and the addition of steps from kennel runs to the ground.
The university’s comprehensive review also put a strong emphasis on the addition of sidewalks surrounding the exterior of the kennel areas to enhance visitor and staff safety and mitigate diseases, and they suggested the implementation of sequential cleaning based on the direction the drains flow.
They also recommended the inclusion of electrical access to the indoor kennel spaces and the installation of another interior spigot for cleaning the inside of the kennels.
The representative from the Manatee County Animal Welfare division said the University of Florida agreed to do another site review after the latest adjustments.
Concerns remain for animal shelter volunteers
After residents request to pause the construction of the prefabricated kennels and build a brick-and-mortar structure in February did not come to fruition, animal advocates reiterated their scrutiny at Tuesday’s board meeting.
“Would you build a new school using only portables and call that good design?” Cathy Bridwell, a Manatee County resident and eight-year volunteer at Palmetto shelter, asked the board.
Animal advocates also said they wanted to see the university’s analysis for themselves. Bridwell suspected the presentation had been “sugar-coated” because there was no UF representative present to confirm the findings.
Julie Madison, Manatee County resident and dog trainer, spoke to the board about her worries regarding the prefabricated kennels being too small. Most of the kennels at Bishop are 45 square feet, and that includes both the indoor and outdoor portions.
Madison said these kennels were designed for the dogs to be both indoor and outdoor, but “they are not able to be used as indoor-outdoor kennels because for most of the year it is too hot.”
Volunteers also raised concerns about the noise levels inside the kennels.
“We need a solution for the noise. Noise is extremely effective and can really damage the dog’s wellbeing,” Misty Evans, who’s been a volunteer with the county’s animal shelter for three years, said.
Animal advocates requests “fast becoming unreasonable”
Manatee County Commission Chairman Tal Siddique says he “literally heard nothing new” at the board meeting and may not open this subject for public comment anymore in the future. He also said that the animal advocacy group’s argument has “fast become unreasonable.”
“Now we’re arguing over electrical panels and a spigot,” Siddique said. “That’s what 40 minutes of our time was spent on today.”
“I’m not supporting a $20 million concrete structure. That’s just not how it goes,” Siddique continued. “It’s not worth the money.”
Siddique claimed that those who spoke in opposition of the Bishop shelter’s expansion are spreading “more misinformation” and that the opinions he heard “are more just disagreements in direction rather than a refutation of fact.”
“There’s not much more juice to squeeze out this orange here… I am not supporting any more changes to this project,” Siddique said. “It’s gone through enough — more than enough — delays.”
Moving from the Palmetto shelter to Bishop shelter
Phase one of the Bishop expansion included eight prefabricated buildings with both indoor and outdoor kennel areas and 11 play areas for the dogs, now equipped with shade structures.
The expanded site, located at 5718 21st Ave. W., Bradenton, increased the shelter’s intake capacity by about 120 dogs.
Phase two of the expansion, which includes a 5,000-square-foot concrete adoption building, is expected to be completed in July, according to county staff.
The representatives also said that the Palmetto shelter is not ideal, noting that the building tends to lose power when the AC is on in the summer and when the heater runs in the winter.
“The recommendation I would have for you all is rather than saying we should put animals back in the Palmetto shelter, which all of you agree is not the ideal location, it should be about what can we do next,” Siddique said. “Next is not tearing down the structure. Next is not building a new concrete structure.”
Animal shelter representatives said the timeline for relocating dogs from the Palmetto shelter to Bishop has not been determined.
This story was originally published March 7, 2026 at 5:50 AM.
