BRADENTON, Fla. — For months, Manatee County residents have raised concerns about conditions at the Bishop Animal Shelter. At Tampa Bay 28's Listens event in July, three residents came forward with serious questions about the facility—claiming dogs were living in unsafe temporary structures without adequate shade, hot water, or capacity.
This week, Tampa Bay 28 took those concerns directly to the county. After an hour-long tour of the entire facility with county officials, we got answers to many of those questions—and found the county acknowledges some issues that still need to be addressed.
THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS
Martha Jacobs, Pia Ciccarelli, and Julie Madison—three Palmetto-area residents—brought their concerns to our Listens event with the backing of 10-15 supporters.
"Are we not supposed to be there speaking up to issues that concern us as citizens, as members of the community?" Jacobs asked.
Their concerns centered on several key issues:
- Prefabricated buildings they believed were temporary structures
- Lack of shade on outdoor dog runs
- Dogs being locked inside during peak heat hours (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
- No hot water or laundry facilities at the kennel site
- Limited capacity—approximately 50 dogs for a county of 450,000 residents
- Hurricane preparedness of temporary tent structures
"This was actually on our calendar because we've been really trying to bring more attention to this," Madison said.
INSIDE THE FACILITY
On Tuesday, Tampa Bay 28 toured the Bishop Animal Shelter with Michael-Chase Strollo, the county's communications coordinator overseeing the facility.
The property was gifted to Manatee County by the Bishop Parker Foundation pre-COVID. The medical intake center has been operational for several years, but the county officially transitioned from its old Palmetto facility to Bishop at the end of March 2026.
What the county showed us:
THE KENNELS
The facility has 120 kennels spread across eight prefabricated buildings. During our tour, many kennels were empty.
As of this week, the county says there are 70 dogs available for adoption at the Bishop facility. The county also operates Cat Town, a separate adoption facility in downtown Bradenton, which currently has 56 cats available.
"The goal is to find them forever homes. It's not for them to stay here permanently," Strollo said.
The county clarified that these prefab kennels are permanent structures, not temporary.
"So these are prefab kennels, so they're not necessarily temporary, they're permanent structures," Strollo explained.
CLIMATE CONTROL & SHADE
Residents expressed concern about dogs being forced inside during peak heat without adequate outdoor shade.
The county showed us climate-controlled kennels kept at 70 degrees year-round, equipped with double-hinged doggy doors that allow dogs to move freely between indoor and outdoor spaces.
"The doggy doors are double hinged, so they swing both directions, and there's also a kind of recliner on the end that keeps it climate controlled—it keeps bugs and water out and keeps the air conditioning in," Strollo said.
As for shade, the county showed permanent hurricane-resistant shade structures in play yards that are cemented into the ground and can collapse during storms. However, temporary tents remain in other areas while the county awaits more permanent solutions.
When Tampa Bay 28 followed up after the tour asking whether those temporary tents can withstand hurricane-force winds, the county provided this response:
"The shade structures are professionally installed and maintained by a third-party vendor that oversees their inspection and maintenance. The vendor proactively monitors the structures and works with staff before and during significant weather events to determine when they should be removed or otherwise secured."
HOT WATER & LAUNDRY
Residents claimed there was no hot water or laundry facilities at the kennel site—concerns the county acknowledged.
"The water may not necessarily be as hot as we need it to be or want it to be here in these buildings. We're bringing that to our property management team in order to address that with construction crews," Strollo said.
Currently, laundry is done at the medical intake building across campus from the prefab kennels. Hot water for bathing dogs is also available at that location.
However, a new adoption center currently under construction will have both hot water and laundry facilities right next door to the kennels. That building is expected to open in summer or early fall 2026.
STORAGE
Storage for supplies, food, and equipment is currently available in the lobby area of each kennel building. Staff use carts and a gator vehicle to transport supplies across campus as needed. Additional storage will be available in the new adoption center.
MEDICAL CAPABILITIES
The medical intake center houses a full surgical suite where veterinary staff perform spay and neuter surgeries, amputations, and other life-saving procedures.
The county also partners with Friends of Manatee County Animal Welfare, a nonprofit that funds specialty surgeries at private veterinary clinics when procedures are beyond the scope of what can be done on-site. The nonprofit also funds all heartworm treatment for cats and dogs.
COUNTY SAYS THEY'RE RESPONSIVE TO FEEDBACK
Strollo emphasized that the county has responded to citizen concerns with improvements.
"Citizens came to the county and expressed concern regarding the fencing and how a dog might be able to slip past. We looked at that and said, 'that's a great idea.' So we erected a fence—a temporary fence while we could get allocated funding and go through the process with property management and our construction team to install that permanent fence," Strollo said.
He added that similar temporary solutions were implemented for shade structures while permanent installations were being planned.
WHAT'S NEXT
At last week's Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board directed staff to prepare a comprehensive fiscal and feasibility analysis evaluating the costs and long-term implications of replacing the prefabricated kennel structures with a permanent brick-and-mortar facility.
Additionally, the University of Florida's shelter medicine program toured the facility this week and is conducting an independent assessment. The county says that report will be published for the community once completed.
"At the end of the day, the mission remains the same—to provide life-saving support to the animals of Manatee County and to provide adoption services so that we can find forever homes for these pets," Strollo said.
VISIT FOR YOURSELF
The county is inviting members of the public to tour the facility themselves.
Residents can call 3-1-1 to request a tour during normal business hours. Adoption hours are Monday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
"If you haven't seen it, I definitely encourage people to come out," Strollo said.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 120 kennels across 8 prefab buildings (approximately 15 kennels per building)
- 70 dogs currently available for adoption at Bishop facility
- 56 cats currently available for adoption at Cat Town in downtown Bradenton
- 70 degrees - temperature kennels are kept year-round
WHAT RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR
"We need a safe, functional facility," Madison said. "Manatee County has a billion dollars of reserves and funding, so we can afford it. Pretty much we need a hallway with 120 units to keep the dogs safe."
Madison emphasized the urgency: "We can't afford to go another decade with this facility. We need them to start budgeting now. I understand it's not gonna happen tomorrow—it's probably a year out—but if it's a year out, at least it's on the calendar and at least we know when the endpoint is."
This story came directly from Tampa Bay 28's Listens initiative, where we hear from you about what matters most in your community. Have a story idea? Reach out to Haley Zarcone, your Bradenton and Manatee County reporter.
Share Your Story with Haley
Tampa Bay 28's Haley Zarcone lives and works in Manatee County. It’s her mission to connect with her neighbors and help them find answers to the issues they see every day.
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