The city council will decide whether to approve a permit and zoning changes that would allow Doggie U, a dog-training business that is the subject of an animal cruelty investigation, to operate.
At least four people allege that dogs left at Doggie U came home with injuries ranging from a broken leg to neck sores.
The business owner, John Barnes, said the allegations stem from isolated incidents and don’t reflect the good experiences his other clients have had.
The business in the 400 block of Ellen Avenue has been operating for more than two years, Barnes said.
Barnes said he applied for the permit and zoning change recently, when his business grew big enough to require them.
League City ordinances prohibit having more than four animals at a home, so if Barnes’ business was less than four animals, he would have complied with the rule.
The city council will hold a public hearing to receive feedback from the community on whether it should award Barnes the zoning change. Right now, his home is zoned residential and would have to change to neighborhood commercial for him to continue to operate his business at that location.
It will also hold a public hearing on the permit he needs to operate the business.
Without the zoning change and permit, he wouldn’t be able to get a license to operate a kennel from the county.
League City Police Sgt. Dan Krieger, who is heading the investigation, said a police report has been filed for the case.
The police department has not filed any criminal charges, he said.
Krieger said he has interviewed several of the people who complained about treatment of their animals. He also spoke with veterinarians and Barnes, Krieger said. The police will use an independent veterinarian to evaluate the animals’ conditions before and after Barnes trained and boarded them.
Krieger said he still needed to interview people who side with Barnes in the case.
The city’s planning and zoning commission unanimously denied both the permit and the zoning change. The city council can chose to follow or reject the commission’s recommendation.
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What: League City Council
When: 6 p.m., Tuesday
Where: City council chambers, 400 West Walker St., League City
