Cadott Village Board; Kennel license denied for residence

Yvonne Slusser was on hand during a public hearing, held by the Cadott Village Board Aug. 1, to answer questions about her plans for a Conditional Use Kennel License she applied for, for her North Main Street residence. Slusser has three dogs, which exceeds the village ordinance of two dogs, per family. Photo by Julia Wolf

By Julia Wolf

Yvonne Slusser filed for a Conditional Use Kennel License, after she learned of the Village of Cadott’s ordinance, limiting residential units to no more than two dogs each. During a regular Cadott Village Board meeting Aug. 1, a public hearing was held on the matter.

Slusser, who lives at 228 N. Main Street, says one of her dogs recently passed, so she now only has three Swedish Vallhunds, which she keeps indoors.

“They’re not large dogs,” said Slusser. She says she wishes to have a kennel license, as she was not aware of limits on the number of dogs, when she moved to the village.

“Periodically, I would have a foster or a rescue, but it’s very, very infrequent, because they are a rare breed,” said Slusser, who used to be a hobby breeder and is still involved heavily with them.

Slusser says her yard is fenced, and plans to put a windscreen or privacy screen around the front. She says Swedish Vallhunds can be a more vocal breed, but she does not let her dogs get away with that, as she is retired.

In the past, Slusser says she taught canine good citizen and obedience classes, and is a firm believer in training dogs.

“If you get the kennel license, are you planning on having more all the time?” asked board member Randy Kuehni.

Slusser says she would not always have extra dogs, but may occasionally have a rescue.

Hunter Alix, who lives across the alley from Slusser, says Slusser’s dogs are noisy and that he saw other dogs on Slusser’s property, such as a pit bull. Pit bull breeds are not allowed in the village, by ordinance.

Slusser says she sometimes watches her children’s dogs and the pit mix was one of theirs.

The village also received a letter from other neighbors, Matt and Tracy Bischel, which said they did not have a problem with Slusser keeping the dogs she already has at her residence.

Anson Albarado, board president, says there is a reason the ordinance only allows two dogs for a reason.

“When you start talking three, when you start talking babysitting or watching somebody else’s, now you’re stretching the limits to what we allow in the village,” said Albarado.

Albarado asked what is to stop her from getting or keeping even more dogs, if she has a kennel license, which would allow up to 12 dogs on the property.

After the public hearing, board members looked at the ordinances again. In the ordinances, a kennel, defined as any establishment wherein or whereon, three or more dogs are kept, should not be located closer than 100 feet to the boundary of the nearest adjacent residential lot.

Albarado says approving the kennel license would be a big door to open, as other people have applied for a kennel license before.

Board members voted to deny the kennel license for 228 N. Main Street.

The board did approve an ordinance on harassment and bullying. Clerk Sandy Buetow says the ordinance would be repealed and recreated, to read as presented, during the meeting.

Albarado says the ordinance includes more information on bullying and on parental responsibility, in the case of minors.

During reports, Lynn McIntyre, Cedar Corp., shared the news that the village did not receive the grant for the Maple Street project.

“This year, it was very competitive,” said McIntyre. McIntyre says those selecting who receives the grants did not deem that the project benefited the whole community. She says Cedar Corp. believes it does benefit the whole community, and wrote the grant to that effect, because the project would replace a main sewer line to the wastewater treatment plant.

McIntyre says they could check if the project would be able to fall under the Clean Water Fund.

Following a closed session, the board approved the hire of Jeremy Kenealy, director of public works.