BARRHEAD - A County of Barrhead resident will be allowed to continue to have a limited dog kennel on her property, thanks to a decision made by councillors last week.
Councillors unanimously approved an application by Carol Pritchard to continue operating her kennel and dog breeding operation during their Dec. 21 municipal planning commission (MPC) meeting.
Development officer Jenny Bruns said they became aware of the operation due to a complaint about the number of dogs on the property and concerns that the operation was too close to the property line.
The property is in an Agricultural District, and as such, under the Land Use Bylaw (LUB), small animal boarding and animal breeding operations are allowed as a discretionary use, if they are less than 1,000 feet away from any residences "not related to the development.”
In this case, Bruns said the operation is about 450 feet away from the nearest residence.
"Right now, she has eight adult dogs, Bruns said, adding that although Pritchard does do some breeding, it isn't necessarily annually.
She added that occasionally Pritchard also houses service dogs.
"But they go in and out," Bruns said. "Out of the eight dogs who live there, two are getting advanced in years, so (Pritchard) doesn't think they will be around for too many more years."
As part of her recommendation, Bruns capped the number of dogs allowed at 10. She also noted that under the LUB, dogs younger than six months did not count towards that total.
Bruns noted there are four kennels located at the back of the property and the yard has a five-foot, no climb fence with gates. As part of the recommended conditions, all the dog runs will have to be fenced.
Three of the kennels are 23-by-23 feet while the fourth is 19-by-19.
Coun. Ron Kleinfeldt asked if it was the same person that operated Critter Keepers Pet Resort in Busby.
Bruns said no, but that it was in the same general area and that except for the one previously mentioned residence, it was in a remote area.
Coun. Paul Properzi asked what breeds of dogs Pritchard had.
Bruns replied that five of the dogs were Keeshonds, a small to medium-sized dog weighing between 14 and 18 kilograms. These are the dogs Pritchard breeds. She also has three Maremma/mixed dogs.
Coun. Walter Preugschas asked if the nearby resident was onboard with the application.
Bruns said the home is presently vacant but that often it is rented out and that as part of the process, they will be contacting nearby residents, including the property owner asking for comments.
Other conditions recommended by council include that no facility or exterior exercise runs used to accommodate animals may be within 20 feet of any property line; that all the facilities must be kept clean to mitigate any potential odour to the satisfaction of the development authority; and that the county may require pens, rooms, exercise runs and holding stalls to be soundproofed.
"We've done that with other kennels," Bruns said, referring to the soundproofing. "We might also regulate the hours that the animals are allowed outside, so they aren't barking at night."
Reeve Doug Drozd said the applicant is attempting to "catch up" and become compliant with the county's LUB.
Preugschas said that if the residence in question had been a little further away it wouldn't have been an issue.
Bruns agreed, "they still would have needed a permit, but it is something we would have handled instead of bringing it to council."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
