Resident defends kennel license as commission schedules review after complaint and prosecution filing

A public hearing before the Anaconda Deer Lodge County Commission on a tenant/kennel license drew extended public comment Wednesday as a resident defended his household after repeated neighbor complaints and said he has spent roughly $8,000 on mitigation efforts.

The resident told the commission he had purchased beeper and shock collars, built new kennels, installed sound-absorbent blankets and bought monitoring equipment after neighbors complained. "We've spent roughly $8,000 doing these to appease our neighbors," he said. He also said one neighbor had repeatedly called authorities and verbally harassed his family.

The commission heard a second speaker offer to provide videos and other evidence that dogs had been on the property after the license was approved in February. The county attorney's office told the commission it has received the complaint form and that prosecution was initiated and filed last week by Brian Dunlap in the county attorney's office on an ordinance violation related to the dogs.

Commissioners asked the resident whether the dogs had been "at large" after the February meeting. The resident acknowledged taking dogs for walks without leashes at times and said he could not account for every occasion. The resident's wife identified herself and urged action, saying the dogs "are at large all the time."

After the exchange, the commission placed the item for further review at next week's meeting so members can examine the materials and evidence offered.

What happens next: The commission scheduled a review of the kennel/tenant license at its next meeting. The county attorney confirmed that a prosecution filing exists and that court proceedings, if any, will proceed through the county's legal process.