Councillors here have agreed to allow a site specific zoning bylaw amendment to allow for a dog kennel here.
The property is located at Part Lot 6, Concession 2 in the Township of Puslinch and situation on the east side of Wellington Road 32 and the south side of Wellington Road 34, north of Highway 401.
The amendment rezones the land to an appropriate agricultural zone category to allow for a commercial dog kennel to be established on the property.
Commenting briefly on the proposal in late December was Dan McMaster, brother of the original applicant.
Though his sister passed away suddenly earlier this year, McMaster chose to proceed with the application.
He considered the process fairly straight forward.
He explained that the property is an old family farm.
His sister started the project, and McMaster chose to complete that work.
He quipped, “with the racehorse industry and being a race horse vet, I may need something else to augment my income.”
He said the creation of the kennel includes the conversion of an older bank barn into a commercial day-kennel with play areas to the south of the barn.
McMaster commented the bank barn is mostly underground and inside noise should not be an issue. Fencing could be erected to combat outside noise.
He also noted the dogs would not be out in the play area at night.
“And the bank barn walls are about two feet thick, so I don’t think there will be a noise issue.”
Approximately 20 dogs could be considered for daily dog day care.
There are currently a number of horses on site also. McMaster is considering running the kennel.
He noted the Grand River Conservation Authority recommended a small swale at the end of the play area, before the land dips down to the pond and stream.
McMaster added that County Roads 34 and 32 are fairly busy already and doubted the traffic generated by people dropping off their dogs would make much of an impact.
Resident Don McKay commented briefly on a recent News story regarding an individual taking an Amish couple to task about having a dog kennel in a barn.
McMaster pointed out this proposal was not a breeding facility or a puppy mill.
Councillor Susan Fielding said that over the years, councillors have responded to various noise concerns as a result of dog kennels.
However, she appeared satisfied that in this case, the distance from nearby residents was greater.
In hindsight, she suggested that perhaps some of the kennels allowed in the past were too close to neighbouring residents.
“But I really don’t have the same concern here because there is a lot of distance.”
McMaster added that the bank barn is located near the centre of the 100-acre farm.
