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Planning commission denies commercial kennel permit amid animal-welfare and neighbor complaints
Summary
The commission voted 7–0 to deny a conditional use permit for a commercial kennel and breeding operation at 6128 Old Myrtle Road after staff cited noise, odor and site-size concerns and multiple neighbors and animal-welfare advocates urged denial.
The Suffolk Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend denial of a conditional use permit (CUP2025004) for Xelliss Blue LLC to operate a commercial dog kennel and breeding facility at 6128 Old Myrtle Road.
Staff Planner Shannon Wolf told commissioners the property is zoned agricultural and lies outside the growth area; staff reported the site is roughly 1.01 acres and currently contains a house, sheds, coops and a kennel. Wolf said the application proposes outdoor kennels and an open-air 24-bay design that could house up to 30 adult dogs and as many as 50 dogs overall when puppies are present. Staff raised multiple concerns: the proposed outdoor kennels sit approximately 30.2 feet from the nearest property line only and may produce persistent nuisance barking and odors given nearby residences; past incidents included a November 2021 shed fire and two notices of violation in November 2024 for construction without permits; animal-control records show the kennel was operating without a required CUP; and the site plan offered limited mitigation for noise and weather protection. Wolf recommended denial, while listing conditions that would be required if the commission were to approve (including fully enclosed climate-controlled kennels and sealed, indoor waste storage).
Speakers from the public included property owner and co-manager Travis Wood, who described the operation as a family-run Shar‑Pei breeding program that uses genetic testing and screening, described kennel practices, and said animal-control and AKC inspections have found conditions acceptable. Wood said the facility keeps dogs in 5-by-10-foot open-faced kennels with a 2,400-square-foot run, and that the family will enact winter and heat contingency measures including a carport cover with roll-down canvases and a misting system for heat. "We are not a puppy mill," Wood said, summarizing screening, veterinary care and a three‑year health guarantee for adopters.
Multiple opponents spoke at the hearing. Rachel Bellas of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urged denial, saying research links continuous confinement to lifelong stress and behavioral harms; she cited Suffolk City Council’s 2013 ordinance prohibiting dogs chained 24/7 and argued small outdoor kennels are similarly harmful. Nearby residents presented photographs and said kennels and structures sit closer to property lines than the application states and raised concerns about noise and future tenant changes.
After public comment, several commissioners voiced discomfort with the proposed outdoor, open kennels and the proximity to residences. One commissioner said they could not support the application on the record given the site conditions and the potential for animal welfare issues. A motion to deny passed 7–0; the commission’s denial will be forwarded to City Council for final action on June 18.
Discussion versus action: Staff concluded the CUP does not meet UDO criteria and recommended denial; the commission adopted denial and will forward that recommendation to City Council. The transcript records prior enforcement activity and contemporaneous staff concerns about permitting, setbacks, noise mitigation, and waste-handling; the denial reflects those unresolved issues.
