This page is dedicated to bringing awareness to the devastating impact the decisions of our County Commissioners have had on the dogs, staff, volunteers, and community at the Bishop Shelter.
We encourage everyone to contact every County Commissioner and let them know we are paying attention. Our elected officials work for the people, and they need to hear that we expect transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of our tax dollars.
The dogs cannot speak for themselves, so we must speak for them. Every email, phone call, and public comment matters. Together, our voices can make a difference.
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POSTER WALK ON MANATEE AVENUE
WHEN: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2026
WHERE: MANATEE COUNTY PUBLIC PARKING (HEINTZ BUILDING PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE) Behind Manatee County Administration Building”. 905 6th Ave. W., Bradenton, FL. 34205
AND
Manatee County Administration Building 1112 Manatee Ave. W. Bradenton, FL. 34205
TIME: Beginning 8AM thru 10AM
Thursday, September Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 8:00 a.m., members of Manatee Shelter Watch and involved residents, will be gathering by the Manatee County Public Parking garage. We will be carrying posters, in hopes of bringing attention to the Board of County Commissioners as they park their cars in the garage and walk to the Manatee County Administration Building on Manatee Ave. (across from Manatee County Court House).
At 9:00 a.m., October 20, 2026, there will be a Board of County Commissioner’s Regular Meeting, held on the first floor in the Manatee County Administration Building. It continues to be “imperative” members of Manatee Shelter Watch and concerned residents of Manatee County stand firm to push for a permanent brick-and-mortar facility at Bishop’s Animal Shelter, funds released and allocated for the “state-of-the-art” facility as “PROMISED BY THE MANATEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONER’S”, not the pathetic pre-fab garbage that has constantly been a fiasco for the past 8 months.
You can make your own poster(s) and some posters will be already made to hand out. We ask this “POSTER EVENT” be professional, as we are representing Manatee County, advocating and “strive to support meaningful improvements that create a more humane, effective shelter system where every dog has the best possible chance to thrive and be adopted. WE ALSO ASK, to wear a black T-shirt or a shirt that has been handed out at one of the “Manatee Shelter Watch” meetings. WE NEED SOLIDARITY!!!!
ANY AND ALL RESIDENTS OF MANATEE COUNTY ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US!! EVERY DAY THESE DOGS SUFFER MORE AND THEY ALL WANT A SAFE/HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, HAPPINESS, A FAMILY, AND LOVE!!!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH -THESE DOGS, STAFF, AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE WAITED TO LONG TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AT BISHOP’S ANIMAL SHELTER
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10/17/2026 The Manatee Shelter Watch Community Planning Meeting
Central Library Auditorium
1301 Barcarrota Ave.
Bradenton, FL 34205
Join us as we prepare for a very important upcoming county meeting on Tuesday October 20th.
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OCTOBER BoCC MEETING
Tuesday, October 20th| 9 AM
Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting
Manatee County Administration Building 1st Floor
1112 Manatee Ave W., Bradenton
There are two shelter related Items on the Agenda:
Agenda Item # 59 will be a presentation by Michelle Wehrle, Construction Services Division Manager for District 3
This will include a slide presentation showing the Bishop Brick-And-Mortar Kennel Strategy as requested by
Commissioner Dr. Bob McCann on July 28th Agenda Item #65 “Fiscal and Feasibility Analysis regarding Kennel Structures at the Bishop Campus” and approved by the Board.
Agenda Item # 60 will be Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) Chair Dena Sabou making the first Advisory Board recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. See below for Public Comment to Submit
You can find the full Agenda along with supporting documents online at:
https://agendaonline.mymanatee.org/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=807&doctype=1
Julie will be sharing thoughts on public comments at the Saturday October 17th Community Meeting. The afternoon of the County Commissioners Meeting there will be copies of brief public comments for people to read if they would like. I am also attaching a copy in PDF format to this email. Feel free to email this to commissioners &/or submit it through the county online public comment form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=h4XxyyJ08kCo8uqjpOpCQDFCujSxkylBuJOOxA_rIyFUOU43VlM0Tjc3NlcwRkhMRk8xOTVYVVpWUC4u
Public Comment to Submit for Agenda Item #60 is below as both a PDF file & a Word document:
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9/16/2026 Let’s please support Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, an Independent Community Advocacy group, so they don’t struggle with funding the way we have in Manatee County.
Please sign their petition and help out with their calls to action!
Take Action — New HCPRC
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9/14/2026 All new pictures from within the last 2 days are below. Please email your county commissioners and let them know that drainage issues are still not resolved. Copy and Paste these pictures into your email if you want to. It’s mid September. Staff, dogs, and volunteers have had to deal with this since the start of the rainy season. That “good news” better be really really good.
drbob.mccann@mymanatee.org tal.siddique@mymanatee.org george.kruse@mymanatee.org; amanda.ballard@mymanatee.org; jason.bearden@mymanatee.org; mike.rahn@mymanatee.org
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August 20, 2026 CALL TO ACTION
PLEASE EMAIL COMMISSIONERS INDIVIDUALLY
george.kruse@mymanatee.org
drbob.mccann@mymanatee.org
tal@mymanatee.org
jason.bearden@mymanatee.org
amanda.ballard@mymanatee.org
mike.rahn@mymanatee.org
For copy & paste please Download the Word Document above
Subject – Hurricane Rating concerns for Bishop Trailer Kennels
Dear Commissioner:
Even though the prefabs are rated for around 130mph (give or take), do they actually meet Manatee County Code in place on the date they were installed?
Sustained 130 mph is through Category 3. Milton made landfall on Siesta Key with sustained Cat-3 wind speeds. Irma made landfall on Marco Island with sustained Cat-3 wind speeds. Wind gusts after landfall were much higher. Personally, rated for 130 mph doesn’t seem good enough to me. These are FACTS from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php
Category Sustained Winds Types of Damage Due to Hurricane Winds
Cat 1 is 74-95 mph
119-153 km/h Very dangerous winds will produce some damage: Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days.
Cat 2 is 96-110 mph
154-177 km/h Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks.
Cat 3 (major) is 111-129 mph
178-208 km/h Devastating damage will occur: Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.
Cat 4 (major) is 130-156 mph
209-251 km/h Catastrophic damage will occur: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
Cat 5 (major) is 157 mph or higher
252 km/h or higher Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
The fact is, these trailer kennels are absolutely horrible to work in during a little afternoon rainstorm. We need to build facilities that meet or exceed Manatee County Code and will not be required to be evacuated regardless of what level of hurricane we are threatened with. While we can never guarantee coming through a hurricane with no damage, building to match the common sense realities of life in SWFL is a must.
Sincerely,
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August 10, 2026 CALL TO ACTION
PLEASE WRITE TO OUR COMMISSIONERS! WE NEED TO MAKE OUR VOICES LOUD AND CLEAR!
This evening at the shelter for the last hour was rain. Dogs aren’t getting their basic needs met, the conditions are brutal, and we need the Commissioners to task the advisory board with coming up with real solutions. We need a plan as this is unacceptable.
