Dog Adoption Fees Waived By Manatee County Animal Welfare

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Starting Tuesday, Manatee County Animal Welfare is waiving all adoption fees for dogs.

County kennels, which are already full of adoptable pups, are seeing more dogs arrive daily, the county said in a news release.

“MCAW serves as the only open-admission shelter for all of Manatee County, so maintaining available space is crucial for addressing strays and other urgent county situations. Like shelters across the nation, MCAW’s adoption rates have declined while intake numbers continue to rise,” the county said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there are more than 100 dogs at the Palmetto Adoption Center and more than 40 dogs at the Bishop Animal Center.

“We are working hard to create more space to help these animals,” Sarah Brown, MCAW chief, said. “We are asking for folks to help in any way they can.”

• Adopt: The dog population currently consists of medium and large dogs. Discover all adoptable dogs at mymanatee.org/pets. The new Palmetto Animal Shelter Hours: Mondays to Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.
• Foster: Even fostering a dog for a few days helps, MCAW said. The agency will provide all necessary supplies.Get started by emailing Lauren.Tryon@mymanatee.org.
• Partner: Rescue and transfer workers can offer ongoing support in various ways. Reach out to Lauren.Tryon@mymanatee.org to learn more.
• Share: If you can’t foster, adopt or help in another way, sharing information about MCAW and dogs available for adoption is also helpful, the county said.