Planning Commission approves dog kennels in Wilcox

By John M. Ayers

On Monday night the Gilchrist County Planning Commission listened to Vance Rogers explain how his bulldogs would not be a negative impact to the Wilcox community where he lives.
Rogers and his wife Nancy are seeking a Special Use Permit to have a dog kennel on Agricultural-1 zoned property at 6860 SW 85th Place near Wilcox. Rogers came before the Planning Commission in July seeking a Special Use Permit. In that meeting, a lengthy discussion was held involving the Rogers’ kennels, and both their neighbors and board members wanted to learn more about the proposed use. In that meeting the commission tabled a decision on the application to give the applicant more time to communicate with his neighbors about the proposed use.
On Monday Vance Rogers told the commission that he had talked with his neighbors and put up more privacy fencing and intended to erect even more security fencing and noise buffers on his property where the kennels are located.
Rogers also explained that he is going to have his dogs on the property whether the permit is approved or denied. Apparently a property owner is allowed to have as many dogs as they can take care of within reason, if they are identified as pets.
Board member Michelle Crawford told the board that their choices were: they could deny the permit and he could have 10 dogs on the property without security fencing, or the board could approve the application and limit the number of dogs allowed in the kennels.
Rogers told the board that his bulldogs are show dogs; they are not bred to fight or catch. The puppies are raised to be show dogs and are sold to other dog breeders that do not live in this area. He told the board that his dogs range from $1200 to $6,000 each, and that these dogs would not be sold locally, so they will not become problems for Animal Control.
One of Rogers’ neighbors told the four members of the commission attending the meeting that a bulldog had gotten out and had come from the Rogers’ property into his yard, scaring him and his family.
“I have concerns about the safety of my family with more bulldogs on this property,” the man told the board.
Rogers told the commission that this particular incident happened when a dog breeder from Interlachen came to his house to see his dogs. The breeder had a dog in the back of his truck that jumped out and ventured over to the neighbor’s property. Gilchrist County Animal Control was contacted regarding this incident, and when they came out to the property, no one had been bitten or attacked.
“There has never been an incident like this involving my dogs,” Rogers told board members.
Todd Newton, a neighbor that lives the nearest to the Rogers’ kennels told the board that if an incident does occur where a family member is bitten, an insurance policy has to be identified with the neighbor’s name on it to take care of the neighbor’s injuries. If there is not a policy covering the neighbors, then the individuals that are bitten are responsible for the expense and recovery. Newton didn’t feel it was fair for neighbors to be held responsible for these expenses.
Another neighbor addressed the board to explain that he too was concerned about the safety of kids around the kennels. He also told the board that he personally didn’t like bulldogs.
Gary Ridgeway, a Wilcox native, told the board that he has had experience around Vance Rogers’ dogs. According to Ridgeway, the dogs stay in the pens; they are not let out to run around loose.
“They’re show dogs,” he explained.
Ridgeway did point out to the board that there are wild dogs in the Wilcox area that chase people’s cattle; these are the dogs that need to be dealt with, he explained.
“I have had hunting dogs, both deer dogs and hog catch dogs; these dogs that Vance Rogers has, they are not going to hurt anyone,” he added.
Jean Wonser told the board that she lives near SR 47 and there is an unregistered kennel of hunting dogs near her property that makes a lot of noise.
Commission member Roosevelt Stalvey told the board that the commercial selling of vicious bulldogs in the county is a concern of his. A kennel of bulldogs in a residential area could be a problem to children and adults, Stalvey added.
Commission member Craig Watson explained that the bulldogs remaining on the Rogers’ property must be considered. The Special Use Permit would go with the land if the property were sold in the future.
Watson explained that his motion was to make the kennel escape proof, and if Gilchrist County Animal Control is called to the kennels involving an incident then this would be further investigated by this board. All the precautionary fencing and gates would be required to be installed by Mr. Rogers. The applicant is restricted to no more than 30 dogs in the kennel at any given time. The applicant is required to have a concrete type sanitary septic system installed within 90 days to have the dogs’ waste to be held and filtered from. If the property is sold, the Special Use Permit will not remain on the property.
Michelle Crawford requested the motion be amended to limit the dogs to 20. The amendment was approved, the motion was voted on and the board approved the Special Use Permit by a 3-1 vote. Roosevelt Stalvey voted no on the motion.