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Keep fighting Kenny!

Where I am, I am governed not only by the county and State, but I am in a little area outside of the city limits, but the city still has some sort of control over it. They decided last year to change some ordinances, and tried to tell me I couldn't operate a kennel on less than 10 acres. Now, this property has been a kennel for 32 years.....boarding, grooming, and raising dogs. The people who built this house and all the buildings raised Golden Retrievers. They put me thru the whole dog and pony show, and even allowed my neighbors to come to a meeting and voice their opinions....now, mind you that this was the only house out here when I purchased the property 15 years ago, and was running a very busy boarding and grooming operation and raising Rottweilers (I had 5 at the time but I purchased a kennel license for 20 dogs.) Only one neighbor came out to voice anything negative, and IMO she is a unhappy hag anyway. She admitted that she had never even seen a pit bull! (I too have stockade fence around part of my property.)

I provided documentation from 1976, showing the permits for the kennel building septic system which listed that it was a "14 dog kennel". I also reminded our lovely Zoning Commission that the reason I purchased the property was strictly for the kennel operation and that if they didn't allow me to continue I would loose my way of making a living.

Not one Commission member had a problem, and I now groom some of their dogs! I was even granted a conditional use permit and kennel license for 15 dogs (which is more than the 14 I asked for.)

My point is, sometimes you have to look at things from all the angles. I could have fought on many different grounds, but went with the historical use of the property. This might not apply to you, Kenny, but there may be other angles to consider.

Good luck!