Kyra Foster's Vendetta has come to Nothing!

The Halifax Regional Municipal Council tonight voted UNANIMOUSLY to allow the initiation of amendments to the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy and Peninsula Land Use Bylaw to consider pet care facilities through the development agreement process and further, direct staff to follow the public participation program approved by Council. The dog haters in Planning Department, and staff from Community Development are very unhappy tonight. 

I can't believe that in their reasons for wanting in home doggy day cares turned down they actually said 

"pet care facilities and more specifically, dog care facilities which include boarding of dogs and the use of outdoor (backyard) play space, are not appropriate in residential neighbourhoods, especially given the small lot sizes prevalent within the Halifax peninsula and other areas within the urban core."

What I say to that is, well actually I have a couple things to say to that - 

#1 - what about people who actually OWN DOGS in urban neighbourhoods - does that mean that WE'RE not welcome in those same neighbourhoods? That we're not "appropriate in residential neighbourhoods"? Currently in the HRM - there is no limit on the amount of dogs we can own - and I personally have owned up to 6 dogs, and I have friends who own up to 7 dogs. Does that mean we shouldn't be living in the HRM?

#2 - The reason Planning and Community Development are giving as the reason for not wanting in home doggy day cares in the urban core are EXACTLY THE SAME REASONS in home doggy day cares are NEEDED in the urban core!

Janet cursing me for taking her picture!


Councilor Sue Uteck herself said tonight that the the HRM is wanting to increase density in the urban care - making it walkable and livable - so why would you want to then make people drive everyday to Lower Sackville and Burnside so that you can deliver your dog to an institutional doggy day care? It just doesn't make sense.

The current land use bylaw that talks about the "keeping of animals" was written in 1871 - it is antiquated and outdated and needs to be replaced - Councillor Sheila Fougere, Dawn Sloane, Patrick Murphy, and Sue Uteck are up to the task and have tonight UNANIMOUSLY gotten the blessing of the rest of the HRM Regional City Council - and also to use the Canine Casbah as the template for all other in home doggy day cares to follow.

Tonight was a HUGE VICTORY for Janet Chernin and the Canine Casbah. One that she is going to relish with great aplomb and it is well deserved. She has suffered greatly since July of 2005 since she found out that Kyra Foster - a former competitor and not even a resident of her neighbourhood - had put in a complaint against her in-home occupation that she had put her blood sweat and tears into building up for the previous 10 years.

Janet cherishes every dog that has passed through her doors and every dog that has been in her daycare loves her equally - one only has to watch them interact with her when she is in Point Pleasant Park and former and current customers run into her to see how much the dogs love her. There is no greater word of mouth you can ask for than that. Humans may talk out of the sides of their mouth's - but dogs never lie.

And there's a lot of dogs in Halifax who love the Canine Casbah - and now it seems like that great tradition is going to continue. Hurrah!