Reunited Female Dog in Bradenton, FL 34203 (ID: 73492607)

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Charmaine E.

3 days ago

Giulia Jordan ,I would have same reservations as you; my best response would be to immediately go to my local vet for their expert opinion and if (knowing the dog and It's health history) they would discourage surgery get a letter to the county stating that.

Giulia J.

3 days ago

Nancy Elizabeth good point. Thank you for the insight Nancy!

3 days ago

Giulia Jordan So happy she is home safe. I am not familiar with the policies of a shelter, however the question would be, can a 15 year get pregnant and if she could, having puppies would probably her. I am sure they consider her age. I have volunteered for years at a rescue and see all kinds of mom’s struggle with delivery that have many stories on why they end up there. People should spay and neuter their animals at a young age, so when they do get lost, that would never be an issue. Just a thought!

Giulia J.

3 days ago

Is this normal, or even ethical? I’d genuinely like to understand the reason behind Bishop’s policy: A friend recently had this 15 year old dog go missing. Thankfully, we found her at Bishop Animal Shelter in Bradenton less than 24 hours later. However, when he went to retrieve her, he was given two options: pay $230 to get his dog back, or pay $20 to have her spayed before she could be released. What concerns me most is that she’s 15 years old, and my understanding is that the owner would have to sign paperwork stating that the shelter isn’t liable if something goes wrong during the procedure. I understand the importance of spaying and neutering, but an elderly dog’s individual health and surgical risks deserve consideration, too. There’s a difference between recommending a spay for an animal’s longterm health and requiring surgery as a condition of returning someone’s own pet. I looked into Manatee County’s animal ordinances, and from what I could find, the sterilization requirement for animals being adopted doesn’t, by itself, establish that an existing owner must have their dog spayed to reclaim her. I also found that the county’s published fee resolution allows for fees to be adjusted or waived at Animal Services’ discretion. My understanding is that a waiver was requested but not granted. I’d genuinely like to know: Is this standard policy for reclaiming a lost pet? Is there a veterinary exemption for senior dogs? And why is sterilization being offered as an alternative to a substantially higher reclaim fee? I’m not claiming to know every detail of the law or the shelter’s policies, and I’m open to being corrected if I’m missing something. But I do believe these questions deserve clear answers, especially when an animal’s health and an owner’s ability to bring their pet home are at stake. If anyone has firsthand experience with this policy or knows where the official rules can be found, please share. I think this deserves more transparency and public discussion.

Giulia J.

3 days ago

Vicky Albright-McNally thank you so much! The owner is on his way to retrieve her! Yay!

Patty D.

3 days ago

At the Bishop Shelter.