Douglas County approves rezoning and limited special permit for in‑home pet grooming after animal‑control concerns

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners on June 2 approved rezoning Z2026‑31 for 6441 Union Grove Road and granted a special use permit, S2026‑32, that allows an in‑home dog and cat grooming operation to continue under strict conditions.

Planning staff recommended approval of the rezoning to Residential Agricultural but advised denial of a special use permit for boarding and grooming because of code enforcement and animal‑control concerns. Animal Control told the boards it had referred the property repeatedly since 2022, that inspections and state follow‑ups were not completed, and that a dog‑on‑dog attack in March 2026 resulted in euthanasia and active litigation.

"We have had multiple public‑safety risks," Animal Control stated during the meeting, listing complaints and prior enforcement steps taken at the address. Supporters of the applicant told the boards the business is low‑impact and that the owner is a trusted, long‑time groomer. "Everybody stayed," the applicant, Ailen Duff, said of her clientele, describing clients who have followed her since she left a national retailer in 2014.

The boards carved a compromise intended to allow the business to operate while protecting neighbors. The approved SUP includes: a 12‑month term requiring the owner to return to the board for renewal; a cap of 16 customer animals on the property at any one time (not counting the applicant’s personal dogs); required county occupational and state Department of Agriculture licenses and inspections; hours limited to 7 a.m.–7 p.m., six days per week; and requirement of an enclosed fenced area for customer animals meeting the Unified Development Code screening and setback rules. Officials said any new code or animal‑control violations during the SUP term would trigger a show‑cause review.

Neighbor Alan Prior told the boards he opposed rezoning to allow possible expansion, recounting occasions when dogs from the property ran after him. "They could have done some severe damage to me," he said. Planning staff acknowledged the property does not meet acreage requirements for overnight boarding and emphasized that the SUP was for grooming only.

Planning & Zoning approved the rezoning and recommended approval of the SUP with conditions; the Board of Commissioners voted to approve both items. Staff and commissioners stressed the SUP is limited and revocable, and they asked the applicant to complete outstanding inspections and permits. "If there's any violation during that 12 months, that will cause the property to be brought back for show‑cause," a staff member said during the vote.

Next steps: The applicant must secure the occupational tax certificate and the state permits indicated by the Department of Agriculture and comply with the SUP conditions. The SUP is subject to renewal and to revocation if animal‑control complaints continue.