Fur and fangs fly over proposal for dog and cat minding service

OBJECTIONS TO MAYO KENNELS FOR HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS

By Tom Sheil

A woman who plans to set up a business in central Mayo providing kennel accomodation for cats and dogs while their owners are away on holidays has run into local opposition.

Mrs. Elizabeth Nicholls of Sraheens, Balla is hoping to get planning permission for 3I kennels for dogs and 16 for cats as well as a septic tank to deal with the waste created by the "boarders".

But there is some disquiet about the project. One objector, Mr. Michael Baynes has circulated a petition which claims, among other things, that the kennels would be noisy, unsightly and smelly and would create traffic hazards in the area.

Mr. Baynes claims Sraheens residents will not benefit at all and will, on the other hand, have to endure 24 hour noise, dogs barking, smells, extra traffic on poor roads, threats to livestock from a large number of unscreened dogs and cats, interference with ground water and general industrial pollution.

DISEASE

The kennels, Mr. Baynes argues, will also be vulnerable to outbreaks of disease such as distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus. The existing water supply situation in parts of Sraheens is far from adequate, Mr. Baynes says, and the demand from the kennels would worsen the situation.

The final paragraph of Mr. Baynes' objection reads: "Because of the environmental impact from extra traffic and noise and health factors, and potential damage to existing livelihoods and amenities in Sraheens, we respectfully submit that the application is environmentally threatening and a public health risk and inappropriate for this type of locality."

SCARE

Mrs. Nicholls told the Connaught Telegraph she is a qualified veterinary nurse and she hopes to be in a position to offer a badly needed dog and cat minding service to those going on holidays from the western region.

She said the animals would be kept in a happy and pleasant environment well away from farmhouses and there was no serious danger of noise as the objectors had suggested.

Mrs. Nicholls denied also there was any chance of pollution as the kennels would be seperately serviced by a nearby septic tank. "The kennels would produce no more septic tank waste than an ordinary , four-bedroomed, house", she stated.

She added that there was no question of dogs being trained at the kennels or of the project being "a goldmine" for the owner as the leading objector had stated.

A decision by Council planners on the venture is expected shortly.