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Volunteers, adopters urge Manatee County to halt move to Bishop prefab kennels over safety concerns
Summary
Multiple Palmetto shelter volunteers and adopters told the board the new Bishop prefabricated kennel pods pose safety risks to animals, staff and volunteers (narrow hallways, inability to remove dogs from inside, exposure to weather); they urged officials to delay any move until design issues are corrected.
Dozens of volunteers and animal‑welfare advocates used the public‑comment period at the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Feb. 10 to urge the county to pause use of the new Bishop prefab kennel pods and not to move animals from the Palmetto shelter until safety defects are corrected.
Kathy Bridal, a longtime Palmetto volunteer, said the prefabricated trailers house up to 15 dogs each in cramped kennels that do not accommodate a standard dog bed, force animal handlers to leash or remove dogs from the outside only, and expose staff and potential adopters to sun and storm weather when interacting with animals ("The interior kennel is so small that a standard sized dog bed will not fit," SEG 1169–1176). Susan Parker, another volunteer, said the layout and slippery surfaces increase the risk of injury and that proceeding without fixing the known deficiencies would be “unacceptable” and avoidable (SEG 1201–1246). Linda Warner, who toured the prefab pods, told the board the configuration is not functional and will need earlier replacement, calling it a fiscal and safety concern (SEG 1376–1435).
Commissioners acknowledged receipt of written comments and photos and said staff would continue reviewing volunteer input. No formal action was taken at the Feb. 10 meeting to change the project; volunteers urged the board to require corrective design changes before any animals are relocated.
Next steps: volunteers asked commissioners to visit the Palmetto shelter and the Bishop site, and to require that staff return with a remediation plan addressing access, egress, ventilation, and staff/volunteer safety before animals are transferred.
