| | | | | | | |  | Item #5.
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| | | | | | | | | TO: |
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| Mayor and City Council |
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| Eric Holmes, City Manager |
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| | DATE: |
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| 8/21/2023 |
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| SUBJECT
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| Dog Kennel Standards Update
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| | | | | | | | Key Points
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- City of Vancouver standards for dog kennels, shelters and day care facilities are currently addressed through a limited set of standards in Title 20 primarily related to land use and impacts to surrounding properties, and through a more extensive set of standards in VMC 8.24 primarily related to animal welfare and conduct. City code assigns a large administrative and enforcement role for these standards to Clark County Animal Control.
- Pursuant to City policy to review formal applications for zoning code text changes, changes are proposed to VMC Title 20 standards for kennels and shelters to allow inclusion of dog day care activities; to establish a maximum cap of 175 dogs allowed, which may be further lowered by Clark County Animal Control for individual facilities; and to explicitly prohibit breeding.
- Additional changes are proposed to VMC 8.24 standards for animals, some related to the proposed Title 20 kennel changes, and others to update other outdated provisions related to dogs as requested by County Animal Control.
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| | | | | | | | | Strategic Plan Alignment | Economic Opportunity - a place where a wide variety of businesses of all sizes grow and thrive.
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| | | | | | | | | Present Situation |
- Kennels/Shelters are currently defined by Title 20 to exclude dog day care and are allowed in most commercial and industrial zoning districts with no limit on facility size in terms of number of dogs allowed.
- Title 8 currently requires annual licensing and fees subject to review and approval by Clark County Animal Control. Kennel/shelter facilities must be structurally sound and maintained, designed to prevent injury, and provide adequate standing, resting, and turning space. Bedding, refrigeration, washrooms, waste removal, sickness, feeding and exercise provisions required. Indoor facilities require adequate heat, ventilation, light, drainage, and overall cleanliness. Outdoor facilities require weather protection, space for exercise, and drainage.
- Proposed Title 20 changes were unanimously recommended for approval by the Planning Commission at a June 13 public hearing at which no public testimony was offered. No vote was taken on Title 8 changes which are outside of Commission review authority.
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| | | | | | | | | Advantage(s) |
- Allows dog day care activities within kennels, allowing owners periodically needing day care and overnight boarding the opportunity to do so at a single destination.
- Establishes a maximum cap on the number of dogs allowed in a kennel, which may be lowered in individual cases by County Animal Control, and explicitly prohibits breeding.
- Updates select portions of VMC 8.24 related to dogs.
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| | | | | | | | | Disadvantage(s) | Continued reliance on Animal Control review of kennel facility standards that are expressed in terms of function, rather than numerical standards, may be viewed as
subjective, but has resulted in no known problems to date, and recognizes the unique subject matter expertise of the agency, and the differing nature of individual facilities.
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| | | | | | | | | Budget Impact | No significant impacts anticipated.
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| | | | | | | | Prior Council Review
| The Council reviewed the proposal in communications discussions on July 10 and July 17. Individual questions raised focused on a desire for more numerical standards for kennel facilities and impacts of allowing dog day care activities in kennels.
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| | | | | | | | | Action Requested | On August 21, 2023, subject to second reading and a public hearing, approve the attached ordinance.
Bryan Snodgrass, Principal Planner, 360-487-7946
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