An East Dallas doggy daycare business says a recent change in how the city’s development code is interpreted has resulted in not being able to use a spacious outdoor play area that pet parents rely on.
Dallas Pet Den received a notice of code violation from the city of Dallas on March 27 for illegal land use. The notice said the pet boarding facility was operating with an “outside run”, which is not allowed in an area zoned for community retail found in the shopping center at Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Lane.
Jamieka Linscome is the general manager at the business that dates back to 1998 and says it is the largest doggy daycare and boarding facility in East Dallas.
“We’ve been here for years, we’ve never had any issues,” Linscome said. “It’s very much surprising for us.”
The city defined an outside run in a 2017 interpretation as “a fenced area that dogs are allowed to run free off-leash without supervision,” and added that “play areas, exercise yards and dog walking yards are not outside runs” according to the city’s development code.
However, an updated interpretation from March, citing the growing popularity of doggy daycare businesses in Dallas, said outside runs do include “any outside area designed for dogs to exercise, play or roam freely without supervision.”
On Thursday, boarded dogs played in a large indoor play area, while the outdoor play area, equipped with slides, pools and couches, sat empty.
“That’s the big question mark,” Linscome said. “Why can’t they go get sunshine?”
The sudden change in rules is drawing questions from pet owners, too.
Becca McCourt sends her nearly one-year-old pit bull terrier to Dallas Pet Den twice a week for play and socialization.
“They play out here all day, they have such a good time, they’re in and out of the pools,” McCourt said. “And that’s important, it’s enrichment for our pets.”
“My frustration is high right now with this new interpretation.”
A request from the city of Dallas for how many doggy daycare businesses might be affected by the updated interpretation, and what precipitated the change, was not immediately returned.
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