MINTO – No objections were presented at a recent public meeting on a proposed site-specific rezoning to allow a kennel on a rural property here.
The meeting was held at the June 20 council meeting, during which council granted permission for the kennel to operate on a smaller lot than the 10 acres normally required.
Minto requires a kennel licence for anyone keeping more than three dogs on a property.
In a letter to council, applicant Chelsey Peterson, who owns eight chocolate Labradors, explained she is not operating a typical commercial kennel.
“My dogs actually reside in my house with me … They aren’t really ‘kennel’ dogs,” she notes in her letter.
“My dogs stay with me for life; my eldest will be 13 years old in July. She is in great health, still loves adventures at our pond, but her favourite pastime is sleeping on the couch.”
Peterson explained the property “has a large fully-fenced area which is about one acre in size, we have a pond for fun in the summer and are also working on a reforestation project in another few acres of our plot to eventually allow for nice walking trails.
“This is our Labrador oasis, and our home. My dogs do not run at large, they do not excessively bark and our neighbours have been supportive to date. Our house is just like any other house, except the number of dogs outnumbers the number of humans.”
She added, “We do have the occasional litter of puppies, but most of my dogs are retired from breeding … We have one more litter planned for 2023, and then my last female will be spayed.”
County of Wellington senior planner Matthieu Daoust noted the applicant has submitted zoning amendments to permit a kennel and an accessory structure.
“This application is before council today as kennels are prohibited (unless specifically exempted) in all zones within Minto’s zoning bylaw,” Daoust explained.
“A conformity exercise was completed to ensure the proposed kennel is located beyond 150 metres from any adjacent dwelling or barn.
“However, planning staff do note that the kennel bylaw requires a minimum lot area of 10 acres, while the subject lands are approximately 6.10 acres.”
Minto planning consultant Ashley Sawyer noted the town received 11 letters of support for the application “speaking to the quality of care that these animals receive.
“And our bylaw officer has also been on-site and did not note any concerns,” she added.
“How long have you been there with the dogs? Is there a reason why you haven’t applied for a license earlier?” asked deputy mayor Jean Anderson.
“Honestly I did not know that I needed this,” replied Peterson, who said she has lived on her Wellington Road 3 property for seven years..
“I guess my assumption was, living out in the country it didn’t really matter … people can have 10 goats and it’s not a problem.”
She noted she applied for a license as soon as she learned it was required.
During a separate presentation on the lot size exemption, planning and building services director Terry Kuipers said staff are comfortable the property can accommodate the number of dogs anticipated.
“We did review both the noise as well as the exercise potential and had no concerns with her property,” Kuipers told council.
Council passed a motion approving the lot size exemption to allow the kennel to be created on Peterson’s 6.18 acre lot.
Staff will present council with a draft bylaw for council’s consideration at a future meeting.
