by Dawn Kitterman
BRADENTON — During a BOCC meeting on Tuesday, commissioners voted to approve the adoption of a county ordinance that will prohibit the opening of any new retail pet stores within Manatee County.
Ordinance 25-33 came before the commissioners after a 6-0 vote in February instructed staff to draft such a provision, modeling a similar ordinance adopted by commissioners in Pinellas County.
Commission Chair George Kruse requested in February that the board reconsider a prior vote that had overturned an ordinance approved by commissioners in 2021, which banned the local sale of cats and dogs.
Despite advocating for the reinstatement of the previous ordinance, Kruse found that there was not enough support among his colleagues to carry out such an action.
Hoping to find a compromise, Kruse shifted his proposal to something of a middle-ground ordinance that attempted to address the same issue. Rather than banning all retail pet stores outright, the ordinance limited the establishment of any new retail pet sale businesses within the county and added additional regulatory oversight for existing ones.
This week, that proposed measure returned and was approved unanimously by the board.
Speaking to TBT after the vote, Kruse said it felt good to know the measure to limit the retail sale of cats and dogs was finally in place.
“It feels good,” Kruse said. “It’s not the absolutely best case scenario, but it’s the best case scenario for what’s available to us today.”
Kruse was referencing the restrictions placed on local governments by the State through SB 170. Signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June 2023, SB 170 gives plaintiffs more rights in challenging local government ordinances, including the ability to get a temporary injunction and attorney fees.
The bill became law since the time when Manatee County first adopted an outright ban on the local retail sale of cats and dogs in 2021, and when a subsequent commission overturned that same measure in January 2023.
Kruse was one of the serving board members in 2021 who helped implement the original ban and was serving in 2023 when Commissioner Mike Rahn brought a motion to overturn that prior action. Kruse was the lone vote in opposition to its overturning in 2023.
Tuesday’s meeting included lengthy deliberation by commissioners, with some raising concerns about the measure. However, whatever concerns existed appeared to be quelled by the numerous citizens who advocated for the measure’s adoption during public comments.
Even Commissioner Rahn, who led the charge to overturn the original ordinance banning the retail sale of pets, agreed on Tuesday that this latest measure was a fair compromise.
Currently, there are at least two pet stores in Manatee County that sell puppies and/or kittens. Under the new ordinance, these businesses are permitted to continue their operations.
Speaking after Tuesday’s vote, Kruse told TBT that he still firmly believes the right thing to do would be to enact a complete ban on any pet stores in Manatee County from selling dogs, cats, and other animals.
“Where we are now is substantially better than where we were yesterday, even if it’s not ideally where we would like to be tomorrow,” he said.
For more information about how to adopt or foster a pet, visit the Manatee County Animal Welfare Division webpage.
Click the video below to replay the Ordinance’s adoption hearing held during the June 3, 2025, BOCC meeting.
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