Owner of 14 pure bred dogs upset after board votes against permit
Suzanne Macre left last night's Genesee County Planning Board meeting in tears, seemingly sure that she will need to put down some of the Shiba Inu pure bred dogs she owns.
Macre has been involved in a dispute with neighbors and the Town of Alabama over her kenneling as many as 14 dogs at her home on Wright Road.
According to neighbors, the dogs bark in loud, shrill woofs multiple times per day, destroying the quiet of their neighborhood and making it impossible to do something as simple as sit on a back deck and watch the grass grow.
At one point, it looked like the board was going to recommend approval of her application for a special-use permit to kennel more than six dogs, which Alabama declared was required after neighbors started complaining about the dogs. Just as the motion for approval was about to be made, one of the neighbors spoke up and reminded the board there were residents who wished to talk on the topic.
In all, five neighbors spoke and disputed Macre's claim that the dogs only bark for a minute or so two or three times a day.
They said the dogs bark any time there is any noise of motion in the area of Macre's house.
Board member Michael Cianfrini noted that many times with requests for special-use permits the board only hears what the impact might be of a proposed development, but in this case, the impact was already clear.
"I don't think anybody has the right to destroy the quiet use and enjoyment of other home owners for what is in essence a hobby," Cianfrini said.
He then made a motion to recommend denying the special-use permit.
The motion passed 9-0.
Macre said, "So I'm just supposed to destroy half of my dogs?"
One of the other residents then spoke up and told the board a search of Google will show that there is a good market for Shiba Inu. He said nobody wanted to see dogs destroyed, but he was sure Macre could find buyers.
"Nobody is going to pay to ship a 10-year-old dog across the country," Macre said.
