VAUDREUIL-DORION — Sandra Gray has a love of dogs and the feeling is mutual.
But the owner of Chez Sandra Chalet et Spa said she fears her time spent with man’s best friend could soon be cut short.
Sandra said she owes more than $100,000 in legal bills, all related to court battles pitting her business against her neighbour and the city of Vaudreuil-Dorion.
“We’re trying to just survive and we’re caught in between the neighbour and the city,” Sandra said.
Sandra has been running this kennel for 18 years, but she claims it has becoming increasingly stressful ever since her neighbour moved in a decade ago.
“We just want to live and do our business, but because we’re living next to him he can’t tolerate that,” she told Global News.
Sandra is arguing that her neighbour has been constantly harassing her about the dogs.
She’s also fighting the city in court over accusations that she’s violated certain bylaws relating to how she operates the kennel.
Sandra said the accusations are false: she believes she has been respecting all provincial regulations and norms to run the business.
“It doesn’t make sense that the city is asking us to destroy all of our outdoor playgrounds and keep the dogs inside 24 hours a day,” she decried.
“It’s ridiculous. In this day and age we’re supposed to go forward not backward.”
However, her neighbour Mark Rassi disagrees.
“I’ve spent money to do what I can to block the noise and live in peace.”
Mark said he denies he harassed Sandra and claims he’s the victim in the dispute.
The neighbour said he’s spent tens of thousands of dollars to build sound barriers at the edge of his property to block the noise of barking dogs.
He videotaped the dogs barking on several occasions and has filed complaints with the police.
“There’s nobody there ever checking on the dogs,” he observed.
Mark insisted his goal isn’t to drive Sandra out of business, but he wants her to be more reasonable about the times and lengths the dogs are outside.
No one from the city of Vaudreuil-Dorion would comment, citing the matter is before the courts.
But one litigation lawyer told Global News that both sides can avoid trial by using a settlement conference in the presence of a judge.
“Those have been very popular and successful once litigation has started,” Harry Dikranian of Sternthal Katznelson Montigny said.
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