‘So many complaints.’ Will Manatee reverse Bishop Animal Shelter upgrades?
Despite months of mounting criticism against Manatee County’s Bishop Animal Shelter, commissioners are unlikely to reverse the significant changes on the property.
After months of constant public criticism about the county’s new pre-fabricated kennels, Commissioner Bob McCann asked the board on June 16 to explore the cost of removing the pre-fabricated kennels and replacing it with a “brick-and-mortar” facility.
The $12 million pre-fabricated kennel buildings that opened in December increased Bishop Animal Shelter’s capacity by about 120 dogs. But some citizens continue to raise concerns at commission meetings and on social media about the conditions at the shelter, claiming a lack of adequate shade, low-quality materials and unsafe conditions for volunteers and animals.
Several animal advocates spoke in favor of McCann’s motion during public comment, but other commissioners didn’t support spending county funds on getting a cost estimate for a facility, especially after the recent county budget workshops and looming property tax referendum.
McCann has previously brought the issue up at commission meetings, demanding transparency about when the animals were moved to the new facility from the Palmetto Animal Shelter and more information about the University of Florida’s study.
Manatee official questions shelter’s safety
“There have been so many complaints and so many things going on, and, you know, the dogs are overheated now,” McCann said. “There’s lots of problems that have been identified at the kennels, and they’re saying it’s due to the structure of the kennels.”
Commissioner George Kruse, who sits on the Animal Services Advisory Board, has also spoken out on social media saying that to scrap the Bishop expansion would be fiscally irresponsible and, instead, the county could look at a permanent facility elsewhere.
“We’ve spent good money on something that I believe works for right now,” Commissioner George Kruse said. “We’ve spent more on shade for Bishop since people said we need shade than we’ve spent on shades in our parks for the kids.”
Community raises concerns about pre-fab kennels
Residents and volunteers at the animal shelter again brought their concerns to the commission on June 16, slamming the board for how staff handled the move from the Palmetto Animal Shelter and the conditions of the pre-fabricated kennels.
Joyce Jordan said some residents understand they’re stuck with the pre-fabricated kennels for now, but said the larger issue at hand is that some feel county staff moved the animals prematurely.
“The core issue is not just the existence of these kennels, but the breakdown in communication and the failure to uphold a clear commitment. The public was told that dogs would not be moved into the prefabricated kennels and Bishop until vital updates were completed,” she said. “That commitment changed in practice, and dogs were moved into those kennels before the promised updates were completed.”
Cathy Bridwell, a volunteer at the animal shelter, stressed how some worry the summer heat will worsen the situation.
“Some dogs are adjusting to the new kennels and learning to use their tiny interior air-conditioned space, but sadly, many are not,” Bridwell said. “Those dogs that are staying full-time in their outside kennels are the most concerning, as we are seeing significant signs of heat stress, which includes excessive panting, weakness and agitation. As summer progresses, we run the risk of seeing the unthinkable.”
Commission delays talks on new shelter facility
After nearly a dozen community members spoke, Commissioner Amanda Ballard asked County Administrator Charlie Bishop what the process would be to get a cost estimate.
But McCann’s motion didn’t include specifics on the scope of what that facility may look like, how big it would be and what services — like laundry or a veterinarian clinic — would be included. Bishop said he would need those specifics, but a previous estimate from 2022 came in around $22 million.
Kruse said the motion “doesn’t make sense” without knowing what the scope of the building would be, and hiring a firm to put together designs would create additional costs.
He went on to say the conversation would be better had this fall when the county has a better idea of its budget moving forward. Kruse also questioned the timing of the issue being brought up months before a primary in which four commission seats are up for election.
“We just had a pretty depressing budget thing last week…this would have been a conversation for this November or December after we knew what our situation was, but that wouldn’t conveniently fall into between now and August 18,” Kruse said. “That’s why this is coming now. Not because it makes sense to, but because it’s convenient to.”
Since no commissioner seconded McCann’s motion, no action was taken, and Siddique deferred the issue to the commission’s next meeting on July 28.
