After months of complaints about conditions at Manatee County’s newly expanded Bishop Animal Shelter, county commissioners agreed Tuesday to move forward with plans for permanent shade structures but showed little appetite for spending another $22 million to replace the facility’s prefabricated kennels.

The decision marked a small victory for animal advocates who have repeatedly pressed commissioners to address problems at the shelter, including cramped kennels, inadequate shade, drainage issues and concerns about air conditioning. 

But the improvements could still be months away, and a more extensive overhaul appears unlikely anytime soon.

The controversy began almost immediately after the county debuted the $12 million shelter expansion in December. The project added 120 kennels to the 52 already housed in Bishop’s existing medical center, bringing the facility’s total capacity to over 170. The project also includes a new adoption and administration building.

Since then, community members have packed county commission meetings in droves. Many said the new kennels were too small and unsafe for the dogs and volunteers. They pointed to the lack of shade protection from the blistering sun. Some also raised concerns about air conditioning and drainage. 

In July, commissioners directed county staff to bring back a feasibility analysis, providing cost estimates to build a new facility and replace the prefabricated kennels with brick-and-mortar ones.

On Tuesday, staff returned with an estimate of $21 million to construct a new building, plus another $1 million to relocate the existing prefabricated kennels.

But commissioners weren’t immediately sold on the idea. While the presentation on Tuesday was informational only and no vote happened, commissioners questioned if the benefits would be worth the investment.

“I just don’t see the…benefit to replacing this structure and getting the same thing from a layout perspective, user experience perspective,” Commissioner Tal Siddique said.

Instead, commissioners directed staff to bring back budget amendments to purchase new shade structures — reversing an earlier decision to reject funding for the improvements.

Now, county staff will work to get the improved shade structures built, which might not be complete until next year — pausing any further discussions about a new facility, whether at the Bishop site, located at 21 Avenue West in Bradenton,or elsewhere.

Commissioner George Kruse emphasized the proposed, brick-and-mortar replacement facility would accommodate fewer dogs — 105 — than the current setup, meaning the cost per kennel would be about $330,000. 

“That’s more expensive than houses for homeless people,” Kruse said. 

New facility would cost $22 million, staff estimates

The eight prefabricated kennel buildings added during the recent expansion have been a major source of concern for animal activists.

The kennels measure 5-by-6 feet, with separate indoor and outdoor spaces. According to the staff’s early concept design, new brick-and-mortar kennels would be about 2 feet wider.

A brick-and-mortar facility would also add a slightly-longer lifespan, an “enhanced visitor experience,” and improvements to minimize heat exposure and noise from barking. 

The county invested about $14 million in the first two phases of the Bishop Animal Shelter expansion, which included the prefabricated kennels and new adoption center. 

If the brick-and-mortar kennels were built next year, the project would cost $22 million, bringing the total investment to $34.6 million. The brick-and-mortar facility would have the capacity for 105 dogs across three buildings, with the potential to add another building for 35 dogs. 

Siddique was among the commissioners not in favor of replacing the kennels. He also suggested the public and county try to reach out to philanthropic organizations in the future.

“I think that we get more bang for our buck with moderate improvements, meaningful improvements, at the current site than we do spending in excess of $30 million on the same thing with no tangible user benefit here,” Siddique said. 

Board agrees to bring back new shade structure proposal 

Commissioners on Tuesday also shut down an ask from the Animal Services Advisory Board to hold land on Lena Road for a new animal shelter. 

The advisory board also asked the commission to reconsider a previous vote to deny $1.4 million for permanent shade structures at the Bishop Animal Shelter. On Tuesday, commissioners reversed course and unanimously approved staff to bring back a budget amendment to start the process to build the shade structures. 

In July, commissioners denied funding for the shade structures and improved noise mitigation materials. At the time, Commissioner Jason Bearden said the county would be “just trying to put band-aids on things to fix the issue.” 

Now, the timeline for the shade structures could drag on much longer.

The denial in July closed the procurement process, meaning a three-month process would need to restart, followed by about six months of construction. It will also require a budget amendment since the board already finalized the fiscal year 2027 budget. 

Community members supported the vote for the shade structures, but they had hoped for a shorter timeline. 

“I support the funding for the permanent shade structures, because now I see it’s going to take months and months again. This is ridiculous,” resident Joyce Jordan said. “I have no idea why it has to take that long, and I know that you can get things done quicker when you want to.” 

Resident David Daniels also called the shade structures “absolutely necessary,” and also encouraged commissioners to consider the brick-and-mortar facility. 

“A brick-and-mortar building would just be night and day as far as public experience and volunteer experience, and it would lower the stress of the dogs,” Daniels said. 

Carter Weinhofer is a contributor to Suncoast Searchlight. Email him at weinhofercar@gmail.com.