Warrenton panel recommends conditional use permit, site plan for Modern Canine Solutions with 36-animal cap

The Warrenton Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 3 recommended approval of a conditional use permit and site plan for Modern Canine Solutions, the local dog-training business operating at 1000 Warrenton Shops No. 1 on Veteran Memorial Parkway.

City staff presented the application, saying the proposal meets criteria in the municipal code. Applicant Thomas Loveless was identified in the staff report; his wife and co‑owner, Kayla Loveless, told the commission the business had been operating prior to filing the permit and that the family sought to correct a regulatory misunderstanding. "We just wanna play fair and play by the rules and do what's needed," Kayla Loveless said.

Loveless described the operation as a "board‑and‑train" model, in which dogs stay consecutively for two to six weeks as part of a training program, not short‑term recreational boarding. Commissioners asked whether the facility was equipped for overnight stays; Loveless said there is one floor drain in the kennel area and detailed sanitation routines: scraping solid waste into a lined trash can changed each shift, veterinary‑sourced cleaning products, mopping, and squeegeeing waste to the single drain. She added that the business averages about 20 dogs on site, has 30 operable runs now (36 configured), and that Department of Agriculture personnel conduct surprise inspections.

Commissioners debated whether to limit overnight stays to dogs enrolled in training programs or to allow short‑term boarding in the future. Several commissioners urged that any expanded short‑term boarding should meet the same sanitation and drainage standards and that staff analyze what retrofits would be required. One commissioner moved to approve the CUP with a capacity limit tied to the current 36‑run configuration and with the understanding that any expansion beyond that number would require returning to the commission for amendment or new approval.

The motion to approve CUP 96 with a maximum of 36 animals at any one time passed on roll call 8–0 with two absent. The commission separately approved site plan SP 171 as submitted by an 8–0 vote. Both recommendations will be forwarded to the Board of Aldermen for final action at its Oct. 15 meeting.

The commission’s action formalizes the operation’s current status while creating a clear procedural path for any future expansion: staff and the commission signaled that adding short‑term recreational boarding or increasing capacity would trigger a review of facility upgrades, including drainage and sanitation measures.

The applicants were advised to attend the Board of Aldermen meeting when the two items are considered; the commission’s recommendations do not by themselves approve the permits.