Jan 23, 2006 7:41 pm US/Central
Plans For Dog Breeding Kennel Criticized
Little Falls, Minn. (AP) ―
Plans for a 600-dog breeding operation in rural Morrison County are being criticized by some neighbors.
Gary McDuffee hopes to establish a kennel for breeding small dogs in Belle Prairie Township, northeast of Little Falls, Minn. Harvey Block, the property owner, applied for the permit.
The Morrison County board voted 4-1 to approve a conditional-use permit for the kennel. The board did not require an environmental review, despite a petition from a group of residents requesting one.
Roger Nelson, who lives less than 1,000 feet from the proposed kennel, spearheaded the petition effort. Nelson said he's worried that dog manure from the kennel could affect nearby wetlands. He said he's also concerned about the affect kennel noise would have on local wildlife.
"What birds are going to nest in the area and raise young in the area?" Nelson asked.
Nelson said he and other residents are looking into appealing the board's decision.
Michelle Warnberg, assistant county zoning administrator, said the board added conditions to the permit, including building a privacy fence, limiting the number of dogs to 600 and requiring that dogs kept outside be "debarked." Debarking is a surgical procedure in which some of a dog's vocal chord tissue is removed to reduce the volume of its bark.
McDuffee said he's addressed concerns about noise, manure and odor. "I plan to run a very nice operation," he said.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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