Appeal filed against $825K proposed dog breeding facility north of Calgary

An appeal date will be set in Mountain View County after citizens brought forward concerns about a proposed $825,000 dog breeding facility north of Calgary.

The development proposal was submitted in late May, it the developer wrote it wanted to build a “commercial kennel, specifically specializing in ethically breeding dogs under 20 pounds, with 35 dogs on premises.”

“Our goal is an exceptional environment, to give our dogs a great experience and keep our neighbors very happy, and both are achievable,” said the company in the proposal.

The proposal was approved by the county, granting the company permission to have a 24-puppy litter per year and house up to 55 dogs for breeding at any one time.

The project has outraged some dog rescue groups.

“It was a bit of shock when we first found out about it, that something like this would even be considered to be developed, ” said Amanada Thomson with BARCS Rescue in Cremona, Alta. “Especially in our current world with over populated shelters and such.”

BARCS filed an appeal hours before the deadline on Thursday afternoon, concerned about the space for the number of dogs proposed to be on the property, experience of the breeder and practices. They are not alone.

“In order to keep noise down they indicated they would be outfitting all of the dogs on the property with bark collars and dog collars are a very red flag for a positive  reinforcement organization like,” said Albert Yau, Pause 4 Change rescue foundation director.

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Global News spoke with the kennel owner late Thursday, who said they have a decade of experience and strongly refute the suggestion they plan to build a so-called “puppy mill.”

They hope to breed Shichon, a mix between Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise dog breeds. They are considered to be hypo-allergenic and great for those with disabilities, according to the breeder.

The kennel owner said they have a considerable budget for the project, because they want to build a top-tier, pristine facility with lots of outdoor space and 24/7 care. They are also promising a better experience for would-be adopters and a stricter adoption process.

The reeve of Mountain View County said it’s important people understand the process.

“We have been fielding a lot of calls about this,” said Reeve Angela Aalbers. “I think there’s just general concern about what the development entails and not enough knowledge of what the development entails.”

The county said administration will now review the appeal and a board will be selected.