OREGON – After months of concern from some in Ogle County, a special use permit for a dog kennel in the county was unanimously denied by the County Board at its June 20 meeting.
After the vote, people in attendance – many holding signs against “puppy mills” – broke into applause.

A petition for the kennel was filed in February by Robert DeCosta and Christie Hardt for a special use permit to allow a commercial dog kennel in the county, to be located of Dutch Road in Kings. Both petitioners currently own and operate B & C Kennels in Clare, located in DeKalb County.
The kennel operations would have included dog breeding, import and sale of puppies, a grooming facility and dog obedience training.
The board vote follows a vote earlier this month by the county’s Supervisor of Assessments and Planning and Zoning committee, which denied the special use permit on a unanimous vote.
And in late April, after a lengthy meeting with testimony, the county Zoning Board of Appeals also  denied the special use permit. It found that the kennel did not meet one standard, which said the proposal “may be detrimental to or hinder the existing agricultural uses in the surrounding area, and is not essential or desirable to preserve and promote public health, and general welfare of Ogle County.”