Animal Services Reduces Adoption Fees To $10 For Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — To celebrate October as Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog month, Manatee County Animal Services has reduced adoption fees for all dogs to $10.

Currently, MCAS has 92 dogs and 114 cats at the shelter, according to a news release from the county.

Manatee County residents are required to license their new pet for an additional $20 tag fee. All pets will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and micro-chipped — a value over $300.

The Palmetto Adoption Center and Shelter, 305 25th Street West in Palmetto, and Manatee County Cat Town, 216 6th Avenue East in Bradenton, are available to visit by appointment only.

Make your online appointment by going to mymanatee.org/pets and filling out an adopter profile and reserving your appointment date.

MCAS is Manatee County’s only open-admission shelter facility, taking in an average of seven animals per day in 2020.

The mission of MCAS is to maintain public health and safety through the enforcement of laws and ordinances related to animals, issue and maintain records for annual pet licensing, to promote responsible pet ownership, promote adoptions, and reduce pet overpopulation.

Programs offered through MCAS include the Pet Pantry, offering free food and supplies to pet owners facing financial and housing hardships, and the Rescue Transfer Program, which partners the agency with animal rescues and shelters in the area.

MCAS currently has 130 partners that accepted 665 pets into their care last year. For the 2020 calendar year, MCAS had a 93 percent save rate.