The Fate of Great Dog Daycare Inc. -- Letters on Our Behalf (Initial)  

                                                                                    Most Current Update

     A Few of the Letters Emailed to us:

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
Re.: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98125.

June 8, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been a customer of Great Dog for over two years, and am very saddened to learn of the possibility that the daycare facility may soon have to cease operations in its current location due to confusion about the proper zoning classification of a "dog day care". I would like to offer the City my testimonial, as a customer and resident in northeast Seattle, to the services that Great Dog provides not only for animals but also for the community at large.

My husband and I bring our dog Mia to day care at Great Dog twice a week. For our budget, it is a significant expense, but one which more than pays off. Far from being a place which just stores dogs while owners work long days, it is a wonderful social experience for both humans and dogs. Mia, who was a very shy and nervous rescue dog, has benefited enormously from the constant supervision of the Great Dog staff, all experts in canine behavior. She has learned social skills - with other dogs and with unfamiliar humans - far beyond the skills of most dogs who are left alone for long hours. This ensures that we can take her out into the community with confidence, knowing that she will not bite. What is more, the Great Dog staff are incredibly generous with their time and their knowledge; they always stop to answer owners' questions if their dogs are misbehaving, and are very committed to promoting responsible dog ownership and canine citizenship. The day care is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; it categorically does not board dogs overnight. Dog owners who are late picking up dogs are fined heavily, like at a children's day care facility. This ensures that all day care activity ceases by 7 p.m. promptly.

Many dog owners leave their dogs alone in their yards during the day. Dogs are pack animals, and do not understand separation from their "pack". Many if not most of the complaints to Animal Control arise from the fact that so many dogs are left alone and, unlike cats, will act out when alone. Bored, lonely dogs bark, disturb the peace of the neighborhood, escape, and cause destruction to neighbors' property. They are also more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior. Even dogs left alone inside will be more likely to show aggression when out in the community, the result of a lack of attention and input. Putting dogs in day care, even one day a week, greatly eases the behavioral issues arising from bored and lonely dogs. Dogs return home so tired and stimulated that they often sleep for several days following a day care day. Dog day cares, then, help to regulate the problem of bored, under-stimulated dogs disturbing neighborhoods and showing aggression. Out of several dog day cares in Seattle that I know of, Great Dog provides the most attention and the most stimulation for their dogs (others have less space for dogs to run, or less individual attention from staff).

In addition to the tremendous benefit it provides for dog owners, Great Dog models exemplary business involvement in the community. The owners are committed to reducing canine-human misunderstandings, in particular those that can lead to a child being bitten, and have started several programs in the community which educate parents and children about dogs (for example, an in-school program for bite prevention, a Pit Bull Awareness Project, and a summer camp for children and dogs). Staff and owners alike are involved in other volunteer endeavors such as training search and rescue animals, medical "therapy dog" programs, and the Make a Wish foundation. They are also a focal point in the community for information about animal welfare charities, to which they also donate, and they promote responsible and ethical animal stewardship (such as spaying and neutering which addresses the chronic problem of overpopulation).

Great Dog also distinguishes itself in its commitment to the local environment and immediate community. Their new elimination area reduces runoff to Thornton Creek; the construction of the indoor facility was done to reduce noise through the walls; the staff work to mitigate noise in the neighborhood in general; and the strong fencing has ensured that not a single dog has escaped (not that the dogs want to escape – they are having too much fun!) In addition, they take care of stray dogs and runaways in the neighborhood, offer free chip scanning, and help return lost animals to their owners. The Pinehurst neighborhood has benefited from the presence of a lively, bustling local business: the 12-hour-a-day presence of the Great Dog staff was instrumental in helping Seattle Police terminate activity in a known drug house on the block. In terms of general community-building, many customers spend much more time in the facility than simply picking up their dogs; they will stop to talk and get to know others. They will also be more likely to patronize other businesses in the area. In my case, I have continued to shop at nearby businesses even after moving further away from the Pinehurst neighborhood, which I would not do if I were not at Great Dog 4 times a week.

Dog day cares are a relatively new kind of business, but, as attested in a recent Wall Street Journal article, they are extremely profitable and seem to be here to stay. Their success reflects a significant and positive change in the way humans understand canine needs, and in particular the needs of a pack animal which is hard-wired for company and a social hierarchy at all times. As more dog owners choose daycare, we will see less destructive behavior from lonely dogs at home, perhaps even less surrendering of dogs to local shelters. Given the importance of this new industry, it behooves city governments to come up with a new classification for dog day care that distinguishes it from the kennel. Zoning codes should be brought up to date to reflect the specificity of the services that dog day care provides (no boarding, emphasis on good canine citizenship as well as turning a profit, working closely with city Animal Services). The dog day care industry is already a natural ally of city Animal Services, and it would be helpful to all if zoning regulations started to reflect that.

My husband and I, as well as many of our friends – all homeowners in Seattle – would be very upset to lose the Great Dog day care facility in the Pinehurst neighborhood; and the neighborhood would lose a vibrant, caring, profitable business that attracts a desirable demographic (day care customers tend to have healthy disposable incomes) to the area. I very much hope that a solution can be found which benefits Great Dog, the canine day care industry in general, and the City of Seattle which we all call home.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions concerning a customer's point of view of the Great Dog facility.

Sincerely,

Louisa Mackenzie

Dear City Council Members, Mayor Nickels and members of the Department of  Planning and Development,

I would like to offer my support for keeping the Great Dog Daycare in our
neighborhood. I live on 113th, just up hill from Great Dog Daycare (11333
Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, 98125). I own my house and have lived here since  Fall of 1999. I do not have a dog, so I don't have any business association with the company.

However, I have always appreciated having this business in our neighborhood
and have considered them fine neighbors. This type of business provides a
service for people who have dogs, but also need to work all day. I think it
benefits the dogs to be taken to socialize. As well, I see examples of
expectation of good behavior and training of the dogs while they are in the
facility. I have also noticed that outside of an occasional yip, the dogs do
not bark excessively. In many regards dogs are very similar to humans and
the socialization, being allowed out to play and learning proper behavior is
important for both species. My house is on the side of the street that the
open area is on, so if there were excessive noise, I would certainly hear it.

In the evenings and weekends it is nice to see how many people are being
conscientious about training their dogs and come to dog obedience school.

I do not feel that there is a negative impact from this business on our
neighborhood. In fact I view their presence in a positive light. Their
customers and employees have always been friendly when we have contact with them. At times there is a number of cars parking in our neighborhood from their customers, but there are many other sources of parked cars in our
neighborhood as well, and the customers have been respectful about not
blocking our driveways. I can not say the same for some of the other traffic
that races through our neighborhood.

When I read of their current issues with the zoning that the City of Seattle
has for dog facilities, I wanted to contact those who can make the changes
happen. Many practices have changed since 1982, one of them being the
increased number of people who offer their services to animal owners while
the owners are at work, as well as owners who recognize that it is important
for their dogs to have activity during the day for at least some portion of
the week. As far as I can tell, a conscientious animal owner treats their
pet(s) as one of the family including the right amount of attention. I hope
that the City of Seattle will recognize that these are valid situations and
will act to change the zoning that has all dog facilities characterized as
kennels. There are no dogs that spend the night at your facility, and the
business has always been run that way.

The block that this business is in will always be zoned for businesses. It
is a pleasure to have such a nice business in the neighborhood and see no
reason to try remove them.

Thank you for your time on this matter, and I hope you will lend your
support to allowing them to stay in business here as they have been,

Sally Dow

June 8, 2005
RE: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle 98125
City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing in strong support of Great Dog Daycare and to ask that the City of Seattle review and revise its business definitions so that it not be considered a kennel and that it be allowed to continue providing most excellent and valuable services to its patrons and neighborhood.
My dog Rusty has been going to Great Dog since he was nine weeks old. He will turn two at the beginning of July. During that time, and due in large part to the superior and expert services of the staff at Great Dog, Rusty has successfully gone through being a puppy, an adolescent “with issues,” and now a young adult who is eager to learn and please.
I work at Children’s Hospital and understand the importance of a supportive and nurturing environment. The staff at Great Dog has worked with Rusty almost every weekday since that first visit right after Labor Day 2003. He is extremely well socialized around other dogs and their astute sensitivities have brought him through his “teenage” months in a way that would have simply been impossible for me to do without daycare.
In addition to daycare services, including trips to the park, Great Dog has provided incredible training and support for me as a novice owner of a big dog. When my brother and his family, visiting over the holidays from Arkansas, saw Great Dog, they were immensely impressed, saying that their dog daycare in Little Rock was nothing like the facility Rusty enjoys.
When I was looking for daycare, before I actually got Rusty, I looked at several offerings in the area. Many were clearly caring and nurturing places. But Great Dog was a cut above. One reason was location. I live in north Seattle and work in Laurelhurst. Great Dog is on my route to and from work. But more, their facility was superior in its layout, cleanliness and service delivery business process. The staff who I interviewed made it clear that they had long term goals to build and maintain a business that is an attribute to the neighborhood and that they expected me to fully participate in my dog’s care and training. They made it obvious that mutual commitment and involvement is a trademark of their approach to daycare, grooming, nutrition and training.
And they have exceeded all those first impressions. I cannot emphasize enough the great contribution that Great Dog makes daily to its patrons and greater community. It would be a disservice and misapplication of restrictions to have Great Dog leave its place of business based on a misapplied standard written so many years ago. Great Dog has taken great pains to be a good neighbor, constantly improving their facility, reaching out to build relationships and enhancing the stature and quality of the surrounding area.
Please let Great Dog continue their valuable work in their current location while anachronistic definitions and standards can be revised and expanded include the growing dog daycare business community.
Sincerely,
Stephen J. Hansen

To: The City of Seattle, Dept. of Planning & Development
Subject: Great Dog Shop & Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE 98125
Date: June 9, 2005

This was sent to King 5 News at 10:00pm, June 8th

The City of Seattle has notified Great Dog, a popular dog daycare (also a pet store, grooming salon, obedience & training center) located in the Northgate area that they will be closed down based on the City's interpretation of an outdated (1982) ordinance classifying dog daycare services as kennels, and subject to pertinent zoning classifications. This interpretation of the ordinance could very well apply to all dog daycare facilities not offering overnight accommodations.

This is an outrage!! I have been taking my two dogs to Great Dog for over three years, shortly after they opened. Great Dog is not only the BEST facility of its kind in this area (I know, I've tried some of the others), but they are also a tremendous contributor to the community. They sub-lease to Seattle's Feral Cat Spay & Neuter project, offer rescue animals to provide assistance to the developmentally disabled, provide rescue services to a number of dog breeds, etc..

They are environmentally and socially conscientious, and are really, really great with dogs. I will be very upset if my two "fur children" will no longer have the opportunity to go to daycare (or Great Dog's exclusive Adventure Park) and socialize with all the other fantastic dogs and dog caregivers. This is a small business providing a needed service, and who have invested a lot of time and money in the community, and improving their facilities.

Please, please cover this story. Make the City explain to all the dog owners in Seattle why all dog daycares are now at risk!

Sincerely,

Ginny Clein

June 8, 2005

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
cc: Mayor Nickels, City Council
Re: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, 98125

To Whom It May Concern:

My jaw dropped open when my husband handed me a paper with the news: Great Dog Daycare may have to shut down because the city has not updated its zoning accommodations for animal-based services since 1982. “Unbelievable,” I said to him. “Every yuppie with a pup in northeast Seattle is willing to pay top dollar for dog daycare services and the city wants to shut ‘em down. Seattle must not need the tax dollars or the economic stability that a highly successful business owned by two enterprising women brings to the city.” Then, we looked at each other in silence.

Huh. Hard to figure. Well, if the city really doesn’t want the tax dollars, at the very least, we thought it welcomed the accessibility to services, employment opportunities and educational outreach that a small business like Great Dog brings to Seattle’s Pinehurst neighborhood. Guess not, ‘cuz Leslie and Judi, the wonderful ladies that own Great Dog, have had to hire a lawyer to defend their right to serve the needs of dog owners like me and my husband. And again, it’s all because the city hasn’t updated its kennel ordinance in 23 years.

May I be the first to welcome you to 2005? Dog ownership has changed. We don’t kennel our dogs, we pay housesitters, or better yet, we take them with! Today, we send our beloved four-legged companions to daycare, so they can socialize with other four-leggeds. Yes, that’s right, there’s a whole bunch of folks in northeast Seattle with expendable incomes who want their dogs to have a good day. If we talk again, I’ll explain what a dog park is.

Now, I’m not going to drone on about why Great Dog is providing one of the best services I’ve ever paid hard-earned cash for. I won’t expound on the fact that my two standard poodles snicker at barking, drooling fools of dogs who have never been socialized with their peers. And I wouldn’t dream of describing the knowledge that all Great Dog employees are happy to share with anyone in the community about dog behavior. I won’t bore you. I’ll just say that a tired dog is a happy dog and leave it at that.

Pinehurst—it’s a neighborhood in Lake City. Remember us? Sadly, we’re not Madrona or Madison Park, but we do have a strip club and a bunch of bars. I know it’s not as glamorous as some parts of the city, but we still love our dogs and want their days to be the very best.

Later, after dinner, my husband and I and the pups were relaxing in the living room after our hard day at work and their hard day at play. “Gee,” I mused, “I wonder if all those economically stable, middle-aged, dog daycare customers like us will remember why they shut down Great Dog when the next election rolls around.” We looked at each and nodded.

Please do the right thing. Amend city zoning laws to allow dog daycare operation. They’re not kennels, they’re the latest breakthrough in dog mental and physical health. It’s known as running and playing all day. Who knew?

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

Lisa and Erik Brihagen and Lyric and Typhoon
XXXX 24th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125
(206) XXX-XXXX

June 10, 2005

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
Re.: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98125.

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been a customer of Great Dog for two years and am sad to learn that the daycare facility may soon have to discontinue offering their valuable services due to confusion about the proper zoning classification of a “dog day care”. I would like to offer the city my testimonial as a customer to the services that Great Dog provides for animals and the community.

I have brought my dog Gracie to Great Dog daycare five days a week for the last two years. This is a large expense but well worth it because I know that while I am working Gracie is enjoying a wonderful social experience and is not disrupting my neighbors throughout the day by barking due to her being bored and lonely. Gracie naturally has a social disposition which Great Dog has been fundamental in enhancing. Gracie has benefited enormously from the supervision from the trained daycare staff who works with her on social skills and obedience training. The Great Dog staff is incredibly generous with their time and knowledge; they are always available to answer questions or concerns about being a responsible dog owner. Great Dog is a true daycare and not a boarding facility. Great Dog is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and they do not board dogs overnight.

In addition to the benefit Great Dog provides for dog owners, Great Dog also models exemplary business involvement in the community. Recently one of the owners, Judi, asked if she could borrow Gracie to grant a wish for the Make a Wish foundation. A young girl with a terminal illness wished to cuddle with a soft dog. Judi knew that Gracie would be perfect for granting this wish because Gracie has been well socialized due to her attendance at Great Dog and the nurturing Great Dog staff. Gracie was able to spend time and cuddle with the young girl, granting her last wish. Due to this experience, Gracie and I plan on participating in a medical “therapy dog” program sponsored by Great Dog. It would be such a waste if a wonderful dog like Gracie did not continue to give to her community. Also, Great Dog has a summer camp for children and dogs that Gracie will be participating in. This camp will educate children in animal awareness and promote responsible dog ownership in the future.

Due to the valuable services that Great Dog offers, I recently rescued a dog, a lab mix named Gomez, from a shelter because I know that with Great Dog’s help he will become a wonderful canine citizen and will ensure that I can take him out into the community and not worry about aggressive behavior around people or other dogs.

I, as well as many of our friends, would be very upset to lose the Great Dog day care facility in the Pinehurst neighborhood. I hope that a solution can be found which benefits Great Dog and the City of Seattle.

Please contact me if you have any questions concerning a customer’s point of view of the Great Dog facility.

Regards,

Kelly Burns
 

June 11, 2005

City of Seattle

Department of Planning and Development

Diane Sugimura

700 5^th Ave

Suite 2000

Seattle WA 98124-4019

 Dear Director Sugimura: 

Seattle is one of the top 10 United States cities when it comes to dog ownership and dog friendliness according to industry research. I am writing to you to request that the City of Seattle update its decades old definitions in regards to kennels.

It appears that the City of Seattle only has one type of definition when it comes to taking care of a dog outside of the home. There are several new business categories within the Pet Industry that have evolved over the past 15 years. Dog daycare is one of these new business categories that have been developed by the Pet Industry.

 According to the 2004 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey dog ownership has increased from 34.1 million in 1988 to 43.5 million in 2004. With this increase in dog ownership we have seen niches created to assist families provide for their dogs. Just as 40 years ago a family would have not thought of putting their child into something called “daycare,” 15 years ago families would have thought that “dog daycare” was ridiculous.  Today, there are literally thousands of dog daycare centers nationwide. According to the APPMA survey over 18% of the respondents said that they either use or would use a dog daycare center if there was one in their area.  

In the Seattle metro area there are over 20 dog daycare centers. None would be considered kennels by anyone in the Pet Industry. Each dog daycare center offers a safe, clean, humane and professional place to have your dog cared for while you are at work. While there are some that might offer overnight boarding/kenneling, a vast majority do not. For the ones that do not offer overnight stays (kenneling) the City of Seattle should adoption a classification that accurately reflects the services that they provide to the community.  

Great Dog Daycare located in the Northgate neighborhood is currently being threatened with closure by the Department of Planning and Development due to a code compliance violation. It appears in reading the Seattle Municipal Code 10.72.010 definitions of kennel section that Seattle is behind the times in how it defines current business activities.

 The SMC definition is too limiting: 

 A. "Commercial kennel" means any establishment or premises other than

"veterinary hospital" or "pet shop" as defined in this section, where four (4) or more dogs or cats or aggregate thereof are kept for commercial purposes, including but not limited to board, propagation and treatment.

 Clearly the SMC needs to be updated to accurately reflect today’s new businesses. The SMC should not be held in place and businesses made to conform, but the SMC should be made to conform to the ever changing business climate.  

The effects of closing Great Dog Daycare would be felt by hundreds of customers, neighbors, vendors and yes even dogs. All because Seattle has not taken the time to update it’s zoning codes to allow for a vital new kind of business to operate within the city limits.

Please don’t let this happen. Work with Great Dog Daycare and others in the Pet Industry to update the SMC to reflect the types of businesses that are demanded by the citizens of Seattle to provide the services for their companion animals.

In Dogs We Trust 

Randy Randolph

Top Dog -  Three Dog Bakery

June 8, 2005

City of Seattle
Department of Planning and Development

Dear Sir or Madam:

Please accept this letter of support for Great Dog Day Care. Even though I live in Issaquah, I have used Great Dog as a resource for grooming, dog training classes and general advice regarding the care of my pets. I also have benefited from the wise counsel of the owners and staff at Great Dog when I was unfairly accused of having a “dangerous & vicious” dog.

I also have attached a document, which details all of the various ways that Great Dog benefits its local neighborhood, and the greater community of Seattle, and even Washington State.

I urge you to work with Great Dog to update and clarify its definitions and regulations regarding animal services. Companion animals enrich the lives of so many people, and many have full time jobs and need daycare in order to be responsible pet owners. This is not the same as boarding and kenneling pets, any more than having small children in daycare is the same as sending them to boarding school or sleep-away camp. The owners of Great Dog are eager to work with the City of Seattle, and have a vision that together you can create new zoning accommodations for the dog daycare industry.

Thank you.

Susan W. Murkland (Pet Owner) and
IS Technical Recruiter
Costco Wholesale

Deniece Bleha & Paul Fouhy
XXXX Latona Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105
206/XXX-XXXX

June 9, 2005

TO: The City of Seattle
RE: Great Dog Daycare

Greetings:

Great Dog’s daycare enriches the community by teaching our dogs to be better canine citizens. They also teach the pet owners to be responsible owners. We began using Great Dog services two years ago when we first enrolled our dogs in puppy class and now have them enrolled in weekly daycare. The staff works with our dogs on new commands and reinforcing commands already learned and, most importantly, modifying their behavior in a positive, professional manner. We drop them off in the morning and pick them up in the evening – they never stay overnight.

Daycare is much more than basic ‘baby-sitting’. While at daycare, our dogs are socialized in an appropriate way. Because of Great Dog’s efforts, our dogs are more friendly with other dogs and people, particularly children and therefore are positive members of the community. To us, our dogs are more than just pets, they are members of our family and their well being is very important. Daycare enhances their lives, keeps their bodies and minds active in a safe and positive way. It would be a great loss if Great Dog is no longer able to offer daycare.

Please adjust your classifications so that the vital services provided by daycare can remain at Great Dog.

Sincerely,

Deniece Bleha & Paul Fouhy
 

Gillian Murphy
XXX NW 156th Street
Shoreline, WA 98177

To Whom it may concern:

I am writing this letter in support of Great Dog, which has become an increasingly important institution to me, my family and friends. Great Dog is a place where so many of us – humans and dogs - learn to be responsible citizens, and we all have good fun doing it. My dog and I have taken two classes there, and we are much better for it. In fact, Treaux (my dog) met his best friend there, and her parents have become very good friends of mine. You’ll be hearing from them too.
The kinds of programs that Great Dog offers are important for maintaining our dogs’ health and happiness, for the short and long term. The staff at Great Dog are responsible, fun and knowledgeable. Their day care programs are great for socialization (and socializing). I firmly believe that they should have the support of the City.

Gillian Murphy

June 9, 2005
 

Seattle City Council:

My wife and I are writing on behalf of Great Dog Daycare. We wanted to voice or support of this excellent business. Our dog, Sadie, attends daycare there three days each week and has benefited greatly from the experience. Great Dog has provided her with a safe environment in which to exercise and socialize while we are at work. Sadie is a high-energy dog that might otherwise be destructive. Instead of having to leave her at home where she would disturb neighbors with barking and possibly tearing up our house, she has a positive and supportive outlet.

Great Dog’s knowledgeable staff has also proved to be an invaluable resource to us. They have given us excellent advice on training issues, as well as helping us be aware of potential health concerns regarding Sadie.

In addition to the daycare, Great Dog’s weekly Fun Runs have provided us with an opportunity to interact with other dog owners in our community. We have become friends with some of the other owners, enhancing our sense of community.

Forcing Great Dog to close or relocate would be a real and incredibly unfortunate loss. They provide such an impressive and important array of services that it is impossible to see this thriving small business as anything other than a boon to the community. Part of what makes Seattle such a great place to live is the progressive, forward thinking mindset of its population. To simply look backwards at the existing regulations rather than update them to be more in line with our current culture would be a tragic mistake. We ask you to take a real and serious look at what Great Dog and other dog daycares provide and to create provisions so that they may continue to thrive.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Michael Goldblatt, Beth Altman and Sadie
XXXX 16th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98115

City of Seattle,
Department of Planning & Development
700 5th Ave, Suite 2000
P.O. Box 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019


Re: Great Dog and Daycare Facility ~ 11333 Roosevelt Way NE

Greetings, it has come to our attention that the DPD has issued a violation notice against the owners of “Great Dog” in regards to the city’s outdated policy of animal based services. Because of this, the owners of “Great Dog” would need to cease their operations as a daycare, effective as of July 1st, 2005.
Before going in to the details of how this change would impact our family, I would like to educate the reader of this letter as to the phenomenon of doggie daycare that has blossomed in our city.
We are the fortunate owners of a beautiful, one year old Golden Retriever named Jasmine. As a first time dog owner, we had no idea just how much work was involved in raising a puppy. We would alternate running home at lunch and in the afternoon, in order to let her relive herself and to keep her from destroying the furniture. This was only moderately successful.
A friend of ours told us of a facility where she takes her dog called the “Downtown Dog Lounge”. I was working in Fremont, so the drop off and pick-up at their facility on Elliott Ave. was a viable option. The cost to keep a dog at a facility such as this seems expensive. However, when you factor in all the variables such as:
▪ What a dog walker would cost
▪ Damage to furniture
▪ Exercise for the dog
▪ Socialization with other dogs
▪ Not feeling guilty about working a little late on a project at work

When you factor in all of the above, this expense is simply something you work in
to the family’s budget.
The phenomenon of doggie daycare’s I mentioned above, reminds me, albeit on a smaller scale, of the espresso stands that sprang up during the 80’s. It seems that just about every major Seattle neighborhood has at least doggie daycare. In fact, I even seen a vacant lot in South Seattle that was covered in wood chips, had a fence around it and there are about 25 dogs running around with a gentleman sitting in a lawn chair watching them for $20 per day.
For the early part of this year, our family was using the “Downtown Dog Lounge” on Elliott Ave. The staff and facilities are great, but a recent change in my job made this location completely out of the way for us to continue there. After explaining this to the staff at the “Downtown Dog Lounge”, they recommended that we try “Great Dog” which was very close to our home in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. We had seen this facility for a long time, but had no idea that they offered daycare.
What made “Great Dog” even more appealing to us was the fact that they also offered the added bonus of taking the dogs out to their fenced wooded property in Woodinville, to run around in a park like setting. Heaven on earth for a city dog..!
We have been regulars at “Great Dog” for about three months now. The owners, Leslie Csokasy & Judi Anderson-Wright have set-up a truly outstanding business. They have hired extremely competent and compassionate staff, they offer a full range of grooming and they stock the highest quality pet food and toys, at reasonable prices.
It’s true that this service comes at a cost for most families. This being said, the cars out front to drop their dogs off in the morning are not Range Rovers, Mercedes and BMW’s, these are normal middle class, working families that care very deeply about the well being of their pets.
“Great Dog” is not a kennel; they don’t provide overnight custodial care. What they do provide, is what I believe, to be the best canine daycare in all of Seattle. This is the model for what all doggie daycares should be.
The impact on my family for closing this facility down for daycare operation would be significant. It would mean that I would have to drive from Maple Leaf to the “Downtown Dog Lounge” on Elliott and then to my place of work in South Seattle. This would add a lot of time to my commute, additional money in gas and yet another SOV running around the streets of Seattle during peak hours.
In closing, I would strongly urge the DPD to issue a variance for “Great Dog” to continue their daycare operations. Along with this, I would also suggest that the DPD gather the owners of many of the larger doggie daycare businesses, in order to revise and update the City’s animal based services law. Seattle is a great city in which to live and to raise a family. Keeping businesses open like “Great Dog” is a critical component in setting our city apart.
Please contact me if you have any questions.


With regards,

Dean & Sonya Baker
XXXX NE 96th Street
Seattle, WA 98115
206.XXX.XXXX

June 9, 2005
 

Subject: Great Dog
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 08:14:20 -0700
From: Danielson, Jan

Dear Great Dog,
I hope you are successful changing the City of Seattle ordinance
regarding Dog Daycare. You have been such a great help to me with my dog Trueman for over 2 and a half years.
We have used the daycare frequently in that time, sometimes 5 days a
week and sometimes as little as one day a week. I chose the Great Dog
facility, not only because it offered the kind of clean safe environment
for my dog to gain the social skills that I was looking for, but because
of the ethics of the owners and employees.
Staff has always been able to help me with advice on behavior issues I
have encountered and I know Trueman is a better member of the community because of it.
I know you do periodic inspections to check that all the dogs have all
their tags current. I am reassured that not only do the other dogs have
current vaccinations and licenses when they enroll but they are being
kept current. I worry a lot less about the health of my own dog since I
know he is playing with others who are protected from disease.
Although I have not been aware of all the special programs at Great Dog,
the ones I know about are important to me. I LOVE the fact that you do
charity work with Greyhounds and feral cats. I strongly believe in
neutering and careful breed selection. I think Great Dog does everything
it can and much more than most to be responsible members of the
community. I am hopeful the City will recognize that and update the
definition of Dog Daycare and you will be allowed to continue your great
work.
I lived in Seattle for over 25 years before moving last fall and I still
bring my dog in to play once a week. I hope I will be allowed to
continue to do this as Great Dog is Trueman's home away from home.

Jan Danielson
XXXX 90th Ave W
Edmonds, WA 98026

City of Seattle
Department of Planning and Development
700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000
Seattle, WA 98124

RE: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98125

To Whom It May Concern:

I was recently made aware of the situation facing the Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility regarding a misunderstanding in the zoning classification for these types of businesses. As a dog owner in the Seattle area, I have been a patron of both this daycare as well as numerous kennels, and can attest to the fact that Great Dog is not a kennel with overnight boarding and should not be categorized as such.

I have been taking my dog to Great Dog for several years now – I used to live down the street on Roosevelt Way and was extremely happy to see the facility move into its location. I’ve been so happy with them that when I moved to Shoreline I continued to bring my dog down to the Northgate area so he could interact with these caring professionals in a safe, well-tended environment.

The benefits of these types of facilities, and Great Dog in particular, are numerous. It provides socialization and exercise for the dogs, which allows them to interact with people and other pets in a more behaved manner. It also allows us to go to work knowing our dogs are safe and secure.

These facilities also provide a benefit to the community. In addition to the benefits provided simply by the existence of well-behaved, as opposed to neglected or aggressive, dogs, there is a strong economic benefit to the City of Seattle. I spend quite a bit of my income on the care and well-being of my pet, as I’m sure other pet owners do. Having a wonderful facility with an excellent reputation like Great Dog encourages me to spend those dollars in the City of Seattle, rather than going somewhere else or keeping my pet at home.

I strongly encourage you to resolve this situation and ensure that Great Dog is allowed to remain in its current location. They are a tremendous facility and, as someone who used to live in the neighborhood can attest, a wonderful business to have in the area. Of all of the impacts a neighborhood can have – from traffic to crime to other nuisances –Great Dog has been a welcome addition to the area, bringing with it revitalization, caring business owners and true community involvement.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or would like further comments on the benefits of the Great Dog facility.

Sincerely,

Kelly J. McGourty
XXXXX 10th Avenue Northeast
Shoreline, WA 98155
(206)XXX-XXXX

Nancy L Hoffman, R
XXXX 34th Ave. West #XXX
Seattle, WA 98199
206.XXX.XXXX

June 9, 2005

To: Seattle City Council

This letter is to inform and educate you what Great Dog Day Care has done for my dog and me. They have given Tashi, a Tibetan spaniel, a wonderful home-like and safe environment for my dog to play and socialize while I work during the day. Do you know how wonderful that is to an owner? Tashi doesn’t have to stay at home all by herself and be bored all day. She is participating with other dogs and having a wonderful social time. This has given her a rich life with highly trained staff that has taught her manners and has given her love. I don’t have to worry about her. Not one dog has escaped from Great Dog Day Care, that is a blessing to hear to an owner. They are equipped with safety measures all well in place.

The building is always clean, bright and very professional. The environment is enriching for these wonderful four legged animals! The staff is all caring and work exceeding well with these animals. They keep them playing or resting, whatever the needs of the dogs are. They know the dogs so well, sometimes; I feel they know my dog better than I do, since I have to be at work all day. If it weren’t for Great Dog Day Care, I wouldn’t have the incredible dog I have today. She is a product of loving responsible people.

When I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Great Dog Day Care was there for Tashi and me. They are like an extended family. They would take such good care of Tashi while my partner, David, had to go to the hospital with me for my chemo. Do you have any idea what life would have been like if Great Dog Day Care wasn’t there for me while I was going through the mastectomy and chemo, and then I had complications with the chemo? A nightmare to say the least. I can’t even imagine it, nor do I want to. They were always there for Tashi.

Great Dog Day Care is a very positive member of their community and neighborhood. Their being there has benefited their clients and community in so many ways. They have helped reduce the feral cat population by working with Seattle’s Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project. I am a proud owner of one of these feral cats. If it weren’t for Great Dog I wouldn’t have the great cat I have today. There are just so many valuable things that Great Dog Day Care provides. It is vitally important that they remain as part of the community and neighborhood, but more importantly they remain so the hundreds of people they have helped through the last 4.5 years can continue to have a safe and enriching environment that our dogs have come to learn as their second home. It would be criminal to take that away, from all of us. The neighborhood, the community and the dog population would suffer needlessly. Let them continue to do their incredible service for us all. We love our extended family.

Sincerely yours,

Nancy L Hoffman, RN
Tashi

June 9, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to voice my support for Great Dog Daycare. I am not a client, I am a dog care professional who also provides mid-day dog exercising, though not in a daycare setting. Over the years, I have heard many excellent things about Great Dog Daycare and their dedicated staff. I have also been impressed with the number of things they do to help out the dog rescue community. They truly are an inspiration to me and others, and a lesson in how much good a business can do, in addition to providing a necessary service.

I find it shocking and disturbing that doggy daycares are classified as “kennels”, and that their designation has not been revisited in the past 22 years. If a business does not board dogs overnight, how can they possibly be a kennel? That does not make any sense. Given how popular doggy daycares are in this city, and how necessary they are to so many people who love their dogs but need to work long hours, it makes more sense to relax the classification requirements.

It is more than time for doggy daycares to be recognized as an important service for our city’s dog owners, a service that is distinctly different from boarding kennels, a service that is unique and necessary enough to be allowed in areas that are more accessible to people who wish to use this service. Obviously in order to be financially successful, a doggy daycare has to be easy to get to. In order to pay lots of taxes, a business needs to be financially successful. It seems like a win-win situation to change the zoning designation: doggy daycares would be easier for people to use, the owners would make more money, the city will get more tax money!

Great Dog Daycare is an excellent daycare that I feel comfortable referring people to. The staff is knowledgeable, the premises are kept clean, and the additional services they offer such as training are extremely beneficial to Seattle’s dog owners. This daycare is truly a blessing for our city. I feel very sad that they will potentially have to close their doors in order to comply with the zoning regulations.


Thank you for listening,
Dana Mongillo
City Critters Pet Care

To Whom It May Concern:

The City of Seattle is making a big mistake if they decide to shut down Great Dog Daycare and similar facilities in metropolitan areas.

Dog daycares are NOT boarding facilities - dogs don't stay overnight or longer for a fee. Instead, dog daycares offer hourly, half-day or full-day rates as a service to dog owners who feel their dogs benefit from the company of people and other canines during the work day.

These days, this service is necessary! Dogs taken to day care facillities are not bored or running loose, creating problems for the neighbors. With city lots getting ever smaller, and city areas getting more and more crowded, any effort that exercises and socializes dogs is much needed to prevent neighborhood problems surrounding dog ownership.

Great Dog Daycare in particular provides numerous dog-related services to the community, services that focus on positive human-to-dog and dog-to-dog interaction. Their educational and outreach programs are well-known in the dog community, and applauded. It is well known that education is the key to preventing tragedies, and Great Dog Daycare is exemplary in the services they provide in this regard.

Please do not limit responsible dog owners' choices or make us regress to a time when these great places did not exist. Dog owners are a fact of life, and it is also a fact of life that exercised, socialized dogs are a great asset to their owners, and can contribute to the overall betterment of their neighborhoods by participating in programs like Delta Society Pet Partners and other outreach programs. It is well-documented that having pets makes people healthier and happier; some people might not be able to keep their much-loved pets if not for Great Dog Daycare and similar facilities.

Please consider updating the archaic laws that have created this controversy. Dog ownership is far more sophisticated now than it was in 1983, the date of the law applying in this case. It's better for laws to keep pace with progress than to expect people to stay mired in past laws that are now rendered ineffective or obsolete.

Thank you.

Lorraine Pedersen
Northwest Regional Coordinator, Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, Inc.
Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue
Northwest Rhodesian Ridgeback Club
Rhodesian Ridgegback Club of the United States
Lake Stevens, WA
 

 
To whom it may concern,

    As a dog owner dedicated to the care, training  and well-being of animals in our community, I am appalled and saddened to hear of efforts by the City of Seattle to close down Great Dog Daycare. I have nothing but respect and admiration for it's owners and employees in their efforts to provide a controlled, hygenic and wonderful place for dogs in the Northgate area and indeed wider Seattle.
    The importance of a "daycare" situation for dogs in this busy, modern world cannot be overstated. Along with a safe place to be, dogs receive training classes, expert grooming and proper playtime during their daytime stays. Owners needn't leave dogs tied up in the yard, or cooped  up indoors perhaps causing aggressive behaviors, or even animal neglect.
    I don't live in the Northgate area, but I drive from Capitol Hill to Great Dog, because I know it is one in a million. To lose such a valuable resource for both animals and humans would be a crime against both.
    I now ask the City of Seattle to work with Leslie Csokasy and Judi Anderson-Wright, co-owners of this wonderful and necessary small business, to keep Great Dog Daycare open! We need this service for the ongoing Canine/Feline/Human balance of our community.


  Sincerely,
Ann Wilson

Seattle

June 9, 2005

City of Seattle
Department of Planning & Development

Subject: Great Dog Shop & Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE 98125

To whom it may concern:

My friends at Great Dog have been issued a citation by the Seattle Department of Planning and Development for illegally operating a kennel on property not zoned for that use. The notice states that they must cease operating as a kennel (in other words, close their business) by the end of June. Great Dog is not a kennel. Great Dog is many other things that are beneficial to the City and especially to North Seattle neighborhoods, including:

Dog Daycare: Between the hours of 7am and 7pm, many Seattle area dog owners (myself included) leave their dogs in the care of Great Dog’s well trained staff. These dogs are provided a safe engaging environment where they interact with people and dogs and can otherwise be the normal social creatures that we love to come home to. Dogs do not spend the night at Great Dog.
Full Service Pet Grooming: Great Dog provides some of the best pet grooming services in Seattle. Both of my dogs have been groomed several times by their expert, well-trained and professional staff.
Dog Obedience Center: With their large indoor facilities, Great Dog offers a full complement of dog obedience classes with a schedule and curriculum to meet just about any dog owner’s needs.
Retail Pet Supply Store: Great Dog operates one of the best pet supply stores in Seattle. It must be stated that Great Dog is a locally owned business. They are not a “big box” pet supply chain. The money Great Dog earns stays in Seattle and doesn’t get shipped off to corporate offices in some other large city.
Rescued Pet Adoption Service: As part of their retail business, Great Dog takes in rescued cats and kittens, many of them otherwise doomed to survive in a feral cat colony in some Seattle neighborhood, and adopts them out as pets to families.

When I think about the services described above, none of them conjures up the image of a kennel. But still there’s more:

Great Dog is a thriving small business that employs thirty people in the Seattle area. They provide flexible hours to college students. They pay rent to a local property owner. They provide training and advancement opportunities for all of their staff. They improve the property they occupy, increasing its value and commensurate property taxes. They provide countless services to charities, local schools and other community organizations. But through all of this good work, dogs still do not spend the night at Great Dog. Most important to me, they take care of my dogs. Most important to the citizens of Seattle, Great Dog is not a kennel, but a place for dogs and people to develop as good canine citizens and dog owners. Great Dog is a Northgate icon whose owners personify all that is good about small business, community involvement and hard work.

It is my understanding that the current definition of a kennel embodied in the City’s zoning code was written in 1982, long before a single dog daycare existed in Seattle, perhaps in the world. It appears that the City felt compelled to issue a citation because Dog Daycare activities seemed to fall more within a definition of a kennel than anything else. It is time for the City to rewrite its zoning laws so that dog daycares cannot, and shall not, be classified as kennels. Any resulting rules covering dog daycares should be written in such a way that Great Dog, and most likely all other dog daycares in Seattle, can continue to contribute to the community in their current places of business.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Kevin Madison
XXX NE 83rd St
Seattle WA 98115

Dear Seattle City Council,

Dog day care centers are a valuable service to your community.  The purpose of dog day care centers is to provide pet owners with a safe place for their pets to play and learn important skills.  Dogs that attend day care are happier, more well behaved with people and other dogs, and better canine citizens.  Residents of Seattle want and need these services. Dog owners take their pets to Great Dog with the peace of mind that their pet is safe and happy.  Owners don't have to worry when they are stuck in traffic if their pets are barking to go outside or scratching at the door.  Dogs at Great Dog play their day away and owners pick up happy, healthy pets.  Additionally, the staff of Great Dog work to educate dog owners on being responsible citizens of the community.  Please understand how important these centers are and modify your zoning laws to accept this industry.  Dog day care services make Seattle a better place to live for everyone.

Audrey and Matthew Ulrich
"The Barking Lot, Inc."
Richland, WA

To:  The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development

RE:  Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way, NE 98125

June 9, 2005


To Whom It May Concern:

I  have never before been compelled to write a letter concerning issues I found injust or of concern, but when I recently learned of the possibility that Great Dog may have to cease daycare operations as a result of an outdated definition of kennel...I had to try to do something.

My dog, Barkley and I has been satisfied customers of Great Dog for over 2 years now.  I can't tell you how many times my neighbors and friends who come into contact with my dog have commented positively about his behavior.  I can say without hesitation that my dogs positive behavior is a direct result of Great Dog Daycare.  Barkley has been taught positive socialization with other canines and how to interact with other people.  I feel comfortable and confident to take my dog out in public as he is a well behaved and social dog.

When I brought Barkley home over 2 years ago, I did not feel comfortable leaving him home alone 5 days a week while I was away at work.  We have all had the unpleasant experience of dealing with dogs in our neighborhoods who are left alone to much.  Typically these dogs are destructive, bark excessively, and are socially inept.  I was excited to learn about dog daycare and felt as a responsible dog owner, that this would be a great way to socialize and entertain my dog.  I have also taken advantage of dog obedience training offered at Great Dog.

Two weeks ago, my boyfriend and I purchased a Jack Russell puppy and can't wait to get him started in dog daycare.  With this type of breed, the social interaction and activity provided at Great Dog will make all the difference in the world in the adult dog we hope he will become. 
I would also like to say I am continually impressed with Great Dog in the services they provide for the community and animal lovers in participating in Greyhound rescue and adoption, working with the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter project, and multiple other projects aimed at the betterment of our community.

This business is in no way, shape, or form a kennel as I would not want my dog to be kenneld.  Their hours of operation are strictly 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Having this type of business in our community can only benefit the community as a whole.  At my place of employment, I know of 3 different people in my department alone who take their dogs to different dog daycares within Seattle City limits and each of them can attest to the positive benefits of dog daycare.  Animals in cities need options other than being locked up in backyards and houses where they can easily become a nuisance to neighbors as the sheer result of boredom and lonliness through no fault of their own.

From time to time, communities need to re-examin policies and procedures and move forward in making positive changes.  I feel this is that time and I hope the city of Seattle will take the time to listen to the needs of it's citizens and act appropriately.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.  I hope for a positive outcome.

Sincerely,

Leigh Ann Russell
Jesse R. Frank

June 10, 2005

City of Seattle Re: Great Dog Daycare
Department of Planning and Development
700 5th Avenue, Suite 2000
P. O. Box 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019

To Whom It May Concern:

As a former patron of the Great Dog Daycare, I am requesting you to reconsider the violation recently issued to the Great Dog Daycare located in the Northgate area. I took my two miniature schnauzers to Great Dog Daycare for over three years until I moved to Ellensburg last August. While living in Seattle, I worked full-time and I needed somewhere that I could take my two dogs while I was at work. Finding Great Dog Daycare was a godsend for me. Schnauzers are very active and vocal dogs. They could not be left inside the house all day, nor could I leave them outside all day, so Great Dog Daycare was the perfect solution. I just wish that there were dog day cares here in Ellensburg, but there are none at the current time.

Not only did my dogs attend day care on a regular basis, we were also involved in the obedience classes and took advantage of the grooming services offered there. I also loved the ease of having a retail shop on the premises to pick up my dogs supplies. Great Dog Daycare should not be classified, in any way, as a dog boarding or kennel service. They do not offer overnight accommodation services. It is strictly a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekday operation, except for the evenings and weekends when dogs attend training classes. These classes are held in doors.

I truly believe that there is a need for dog daycare and the benefits of dog daycare is much like the need for child daycare. I needed a place where I could be assured my dogs were being supervised and cared for and at the same time playing, socializing, and learning with other canines and humans.

Please reconsider the notice of violation in regards to Great Dog Daycare. I also request that you do not close the doors of this business. It should not in any way be considered a dog boarding or kennel business. There is a great demand for dog daycare services in Seattle and in neighboring communities. I can’t wait for this type of service to be available in my new community in Ellensburg. My dogs do not get the exercise and interaction that they should now. Although, they can get in and out of my house through a doggie door, they spend a lot of time barking outside much to the displeasure of my neighbors. Great Dog Daycare was my solution while I lived in Seattle.

Sincerely,

Tammy R. Wilson

TO: City of Seattle, Dept. of Planning & Development
RE: Great Dog Shop & Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE
DATE: June 9, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to express my strong support for Great Dog Daycare and to voice my concern that the lack of up-to-date zoning regulations specific to dog daycare as a vital animal service may pose a challenge for its continued existence in the Northgate neighborhood.

To put it simply, I cannot imagine my life without all the great services Great Dog provides!

I know the owners will be providing you with ample documentation of all the things they’ve done to be a vital part of the Seattle animal services community and to be good neighbors in their Northgate – from charitable and community outreach, to facility upgrades and hiring and training an outstanding staff – so I won’t repeat the detailed list of their efforts and accomplishments. I’ll just explain why, as a customer and a north Seattle resident, this facility is such a vital part of life for me and my friends and neighbors.

I live in a townhouse condominium in North Seattle, in very close proximity to my neighbors. I work at Microsoft, and between the commute to the east side and long work hours, I am away from home for about 10-11 hours a day. I am also a dog lover, and share my home with two large, high-energy dogs.

It was only when dog daycare became available in Seattle that I took the step of adopting two shelter dogs. Given my long work hours, I would never consider leaving my dogs home alone, both out of concern for their need for social interaction, mental stimulation and exercise – but also out of consideration for my neighbors. Bored, lonely dogs are often loud, destructive dogs and I would never subject my neighbors (several of whom work from home) to the noise of separation anxiety.

Dog daycare is a critical service for urban pet owners, hence its rapid growth trend nationwide. It is enthusiastically recommended by vets and animal behavior specialists to keep dogs mentally healthy, exercised and well-socialized. Due to the level of supervision (and temperament screening required for admission), it is a safe environment for dogs to exercise and interact off-leash.

Not all daycares are created equal, and while I think all the daycares in Seattle are good, Great Dog Daycare really lives up to its name! They offer many unique benefits especially in the level of staff supervision and interaction with the dogs, and the availability of professional training services on site. My own dogs have shown marked behavior improvement as a result of their attendance at Great Dog and the personal training they have received there. I also love the one-one-stop shopping convenience for all my pets’ needs (daycare, food and toys, obedience, grooming). I’ve also gotten to know and patronize many of the wonderful businesses in the Northgate area as a result of my trips to Great Dog,

But most importantly, Great Dog has fostered a strong sense of community. I’ve gotten to know the staff and many other patrons and there is a “family” feeling that we share something very special. I urge you to allow Great Dog Daycare to continue to operate in its present location by updating Seattle’s zoning regulations to accommodate this vital animal service. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Anne Groom
XXXX Evanston Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103

June 10, 2005

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
Re: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98125


My dog Addy has been going to Great Dog for four years. Addy was a shelter dog and was approximately 3 years old when I adopted her. Addy was high energy and not well socialized when I got her. Since Addy has been going to Great Dog she has become well behaved around humans and other dogs because of the attention and care she gets from the professional staff. It’s been such a good benefit for Addy I’ve adjusted my personal budget to insure that she can attend.

As a police officer for the City of Seattle I work odd hours and cannot always exercise or give Addy the attention she deserves. The time she spends at Great Dog is a perfect substitution.

I would also like to let you know that both Leslie and Judy, the co-owners of Great Dog, have been responsible and considerate neighbors. Both have informed me of criminal activity that goes on in the area and I have been able to pass that information onto the North Precinct Anti Crime Team and the sector patrol cars. Also when I was assigned to North Precinct patrol I can attest that I never heard or read a report regarding any complaint of noise or other disturbance from Great Dog.

Great Dog is a business that the City of Seattle should be encouraging. The business offers employment opportunities to students along with adults returning to the work force. They are active in animal rescue groups and promote responsible pet ownership. They also coordinated a toy and food drive for the Seattle Animal Shelter that was very successful this past Christmas.

I encourage you to update the definition of kenneling to allow pet day cares to continue to grow and flourish in our city.

Respectfully submitted,

Chriseley J. Lang
Seattle, WA

June 10, 2005

To: City of Seattle
Department of Planning & Development
Re: Great Dog Shop & Daycare
11333 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle 98125



To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing on behalf of Great Dog Shop & Daycare and all of the friends, families & community members that benefit from this outstanding business.

First, I must state that it concerns and angers me that this daycare facility & others in the greater Seattle area, may have to cease operations due to outdated zoning classifications and codes. Great Dog Daycare is an exemplary business that should be receiving recognition & praise for their contributions & commitment to the City of Seattle.

As a pet owner, we have been part of the Great Dog clientele for the past 4 years. We
have a 4 year old Labrador Retriever and very hectic work schedule. Working as Buyers for Nordstrom, we travel often and rely on friends and family to care for our dog overnight. Having Reilly at daycare during the day insures that he will be tired & relaxed during the night. Reilly has become a very social & well-mannered dog. This behavior is directly related to the interaction he receives from the staff, dogs & safe environment of Great Dog.

In addition to needing exercise & attention, Reilly is epileptic and is on medication to control his seizures. The Great Dog staff monitors his behavior daily and is able to react appropriately if Reilly has a seizure at daycare. If Reilly was not able to go to a day facility such a Great Dog, the consequences could be life ending.

We utilize all of the Great Dog Services from:
 Obedience Training
 Daily Daycare
 Adventure Park
 Grooming
 Retail Supplies
 and basic Q&A on dogs, concerns, etc… *The Great Dog team is always open to give advise, recommendations and listen to concerns about the well-being of your pet.

Judi, Leslie and the Great Dog Staff do not limit time & attention to the daycare clientele, they take in countless rescue animals and rehabilitate them and find them good homes. Great Dog provides outreach for many non-profit organizations such as, Feral Cat Spay/ Neuter Project, NW Greyhound Rescue and other outreach programs to Seattle Schools.

The closure of Great Dog Daycare and other dog daycare facilities in and around the greater Seattle area would negatively impact many Seattle residents and neighbors. It is my hope that some time & attention is given to updating the zoning ordinances and classifications for DAYCARE facilities. (Which are NOT kennels or boarding facilities.) These types of services are growing and provide a much needed service to the residents of the city of Seattle.

If you need additional information, or have questions regarding Great Dog Daycare, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,


Joanne DePrez
Mary DePrez

CC: Judi Anderson-Wright, Great Dog Daycare, Inc.
Leslie Csokasy, Great Dog Daycare, Inc.
Mayor Greg Nichols, City of Seattle

Friday, June 10, 2005

City of Seattle,

I am writing regarding Great Dog Day Care, a wonderful facility in our neighborhood.  I understand that they are in danger of having to move out of our neighborhood, and we would be very upset if that were to happen.

We moved to XXXX NE 115th Street four an a half years ago, just around the time that Great Dog opened.  My husband and I were in the process of getting our first dog, and were pleased to see them close by.  In the years that followed, they proved to be an extremely valuable resource and support system for us as we raised our puppy.

Great Dog has been more than a place to buy healthy dog food, pet supplies,  and long-lasting dog toys.  They have provided advice on various health issues our dog has faced, and everything they have suggested, has worked.  They remember our dog everytime we go in, and know us too.  They also have provided excellent resources for dog walkers and dog sitters.  We feel comforted knowing that they are just a short walk away from our house.
We have participated in 2 of the obedience courses offered at Great Dog, and the trainers have been extremely helpful with our very Alpha (dominant) dog.  On one occaision they even took him in to the daycare for a day to evaluate his social behavior with other dogs and give us further suggestions for dealing with his dominance. We felt this went above and beyond what any other dog care facilities would do.

As a close neighbor and a customer of Great Dog, I can attest that they are providing an excellent, valuable service to our community.  If they were to leave, we would greatly miss them, our dog, Sequoia, would miss them, and we know many many others who would miss them as well. 
Please consider working with Great Dog to find a way that they can remain in our community and continue to serve the great dogs and their owners.

Thank you,

Kelli Spann
XXXX  NE 115th St
Seattle, WA 98125 

To the City of Seattle,


   I am disappointed to hear that the dog daycare at Great Dog Daycare, Inc. may be shutdown due to its classification as a kennel. Great Dog has been instrumental in making my dog well behaved and friendly; they spent many weeks working with her on learning how to interact with other dogs. She is also highly active and needs the level of play that Great Dog is able to provide. I wish that Great Dog was a kennel so that I could board my dog with them when I can not take her with me on vacation - they deserve all the business that I could give them. Because I am in the area so frequently I also take advantage of the businesses and restaurants in the immediate vicinity.
   My wife and I are devastated that we could lose such a wonderful service as that provided by this local business. Please reconsider your plans to shutdown the dog daycare.


Sincerely,


Jeff Schneiter

XXXX NE 140th Street

Seattle, WA 98125

(206) XXX-XXXX

June 10th, 2005

City of Seattle
Seattle, WA 98124

To whom it may concern-

I have been taking my dog, Lagos, to Great Dog Daycare in the Pinehurst neighborhood for over 4 years. It has been a great place for her to run around, play, keep active and get the attention she needs and deserves while I am working. Without Great Dog, her life would be very unfulfilled and there would be much more stress on me wondering how I was going to exercise her, play with her and give her the attention she needs.

The people at Great Dog Daycare have been very kind, helpful and professional in all of my dealings with them. They are a great attribute to our community and enhance the lives of everyone in the neighborhood as well as the other dog owners who utilize their services.

The City of Seattle owes it to the community to properly zone animal daycare centers. You need to bring the ordinances up to code and into the 21st century. As our lives get busier and times change, so too must the zoning ordinances.

Keep Great Dog Daycare open and allow the community to keep on benefiting from their services.

Thank you,

Brenda Vassau
XXX  N 92nd St
Seattle, WA 98103

10. June 2005

City of Seattle
Seattle, WA 98124

To whom it may concern:

As a friend of someone who utilizes “Great Dog’s” service twice a week to care for her “best friend”, I was very upset to learn that this wonderful establishment is at risk for having to close its doors because of a city zoning regulation. The staff at “Great Dog” is unmatched in what I have seen in animal daycare facilities. They are always friendly, professional, flexible and show the utmost care and compassion for the dogs in their care. On several occasions, I have dropped off or picked up my friend’s dog and that dog cannot wait to get there, and never wants to leave! “Great Dog” provides a wonderful service and great feeling for a “single mother” who cannot devote as much time as she would like to, to a big dog that requires extra attention and exercise during the busy work week.

If I were a dog owner, I would definitely take my dog to “Great Dog”. Please do whatever is necessary to see to it that this facility remain open so that dogs, and dog owners, can benefit from this great asset to our Pinehurst community.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Burmeister
XXXXX 15th Ave NE #310
Seattle, WA. 98125

June 10, 2005

To Whom it May Concern,

After hearing that Great Dog Daycare might soon be closed by the city, I felt compelled to write a few words about what a wonderful place Great Dog is and how important it is to me and my dog, Charlie.

My husband and I have a young golden retriever who is the light of our lives. We got him as a puppy 1-1/2 years ago. We don’t have children so Charlie is our baby. He is our practice run at being parents and we couldn’t have done it without Great Dog.

Because my husband and I both work full-time outside the home, we knew that on our own, we would not be able to provide Charlie with the kind of attention and exercise he needs. As a puppy, he attended puppy kindergarten at Great Dog, where he learned manners and we learned puppy parenting skills. For the past year, he has gone to daycare at Great Dog two or three days a week.

What would we have done without them? I can’t imagine. I don’t believe in leaving a dog locked up in house all day by himself. If we hadn’t had the option of reliable daycare, I don’t think we would have gotten a dog – and I can’t imagine my life without Charlie. He comes home from daycare happy, exhausted, and totally at peace.

A few weeks ago, I went in to pick up Charlie from daycare. As we walked out of Great Dog, one of the young women who works there was giving Charlie hugs and I was having trouble getting him to come with me. I turned around and looked at him, and he was staring up at her like she was his best friend. She looked at me with a huge smile and said, “We love your dog!”

I can’t ask for anything more than that. They love my dog, and he loves them. He’s a better dog for it, and my husband and I can go to work knowing that we are doing the best thing for our only child.

Please allow Great Dog Daycare to continue operating. These wonderful people deserve the chance to work with the city to straighten out whatever issues have come up.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Sarah Ryan

XXXX – 15th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98115
206.XXX.XXXX

To Seattle City Counsel,

I've been going to Great Dog to buy dog food and to gather with other Jack Russell Terrier owners once a month for a play group held in the dog daycare space.  I have found the play group to be a wonderful fun time as well as a valuable resource for everyone who owns a Jack Russell.  These are high energy, very smart dogs. The JRT meetup group is a very important way for the people to socialize with other JRT owners and to get advice and ideas on how to live with these wonderul  precocious dogs.  It is equally important that these dogs socialize with each other and run off their energy with others that are their size and temperment.

There are Jack Russell owners and owners of other breeds that also bring their dogs to stay during the day at the daycare while their owners are gone for the day or just a couple hours.  The daycare provides enrichment for these dogs that they would not get if left at home alone.

My hope is that you will make a new definition of what a dog daycare is and what an overnight boarding kennel is and allow all dog daycares to operate in the City of Seattle.  A dog daycare is not a boarding kennel any more than a child daycare is a kid hotel.  For many of us, our dogs are like our children, and dog daycare is just one of the things that is now in our lives, just like childcare.

Great Dog is a valuable resource for dog owners and their dogs and provides the perfect safe, clean space for daycare and all dog activities during the day.


Sincerely,

Vicki Goode and Wishbone

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
Mayor Greg Nichols
Re: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98125

June 10, 2005

To Whom It May Concern,

My dog Charlie has been a happy customer of the Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility for 2 years. I am extremely concerned that they may be required to cease operations in their current facility due to antiquated zoning laws that do not recognize the difference between a daycare facility and an overnight kennel. The Great Dog Shop has never allowed dogs to spend the night in the facility. They do not provide services between 7:00pm and 7:00am with the exception of periodic obedience classes that end at 10:00pm. They have been extremely responsible to the community regarding noise reduction and ensuring that animal waste is disposed of in the most hygienic and safe manner possible.

The Great Dog Shop contributes to the community of north Seattle in several very significant ways. They provide services that are not found in close proximity to the facility. The services they provide are very well throughout, safe for the animals and through their socialization program prepare animals that might have been problematic in the community to behave in a safe and calm manner. The humanity that is evidenced in the manner they interact with both their canine and human customers is laudable. They set a standard of recognition and love that easily spills over to both of these customer groups. The lives of both canine and human customers are enhanced through the Great Dog Experience.

As a voting member of the north Seattle area, I feel the Great Dog Shop offers very important services to our community. To require that they move or worse yet shut down due to a zoning law that is decades out of date is ludicrous. I urge you to be forward thinking and responsive to your constituency by allowing the Great Dog Shop to continue to operate in their current location.

Thank you very much for your consideration. Please do the right thing for both the animals and humans.

Sincerely,

Ellen Busteed
XXXXA Corliss Ave. N
Seattle, WA 98133
(206) XXX-XXXX

To:  The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development

10 June 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

It has come to my attention that Great Dog may no longer be able to operate in its current location.  In my opinion, removing Great Dog from our neighborhood would be a disservice to this community and its members.

I am a job coach; I serve people who have developmental disabilities in community-integrated vocational settings.  Great Dog has given a gentleman (who I help support) a position at their daycare facility.  Working here has given this man the wonderful opportunity to build social skills though interactions with other community members, to enhance his self-esteem through meaningful work, and be involved with animals, which is what he really loves.

I have seen, first-hand, the outstanding benefits Great Dog has had on individual community members, such as this gentleman, and the effect this has on the community as a whole.  I hope this matter is not taken lightly and can be resolved to benefit those involved.

Sincerely,

Deborah Sheidler 

City of Seattle,

I would like to express my concern about the possibility of Great Dog losing their daycare facility. Although I don't take advantage of Great Dogs daycare, (I live too far away) I know many of the people that work there as this is the only place I take my dogs for grooming. I also work with someone who does use the daycare services and and she raves about the great care they give the dogs.

I truely hope you reconsider closing their daycare, both for the sake of the dogs and owners that use the daycare and those of us who frequent their facility for other services and needs. I would hate to see them have to close up due to losing a large part of their business.

Thank-you for your consideration

Mary Howe

The City of Seattle
Department of Planning and Development
700 5th Ave Suite 2000
P.O. Box 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019


June 10, 2005

To Whom it May Concern:

We recently heard about the possibility that the Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility (11333 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98125) may be in violation of city code because they are not zoned for kennel services. We would like to offer our testimony that Great Dog is NOT a kennel service, but an important daytime care service for dogs, many of which would otherwise be left in inadequate conditions while their owners are working.

After we purchased a home in North Seattle, our dog began showing signs of separation anxiety (we moved from North Carolina and began to work longer hours). Our neighbors complained that she was barking all day long. Since we began bringing her to Great Dog daycare nearly 2 years ago, she has been a much happier and more relaxed dog. She regularly returns exhausted after a full day’s play, more so than after a 10-mile summit hike! And we can tell how excited she is about going to visit her friends at Great Dog. Moreover, it gives us peace of mind to know that she is in a safe and friendly environment, where she learns important social skills and has access to large play areas.

Great Dog has exceeded all of our expectations, and is so much more than a place to keep our dog. They offer many community services, and the highly trained staff are always very friendly, sincere, and generous with their time. We often learn about innovative pet care products and services through conversations with the staff, owners, and other customers. It would be a shame to lose such a productive member of the community. Great Dog is involved in many charitable services for pets. For example, they are intimately involved with rescue dogs, and donate services and funds to organizations such as Make a Wish Foundation that show how pets can have a positive influence on people. Further, they contribute to keeping feral cats off of the streets, which is very important for survival and welfare of many of our area’s songbird species. Many people living in Seattle that do not have children choose to invest energy in pets instead. We often comment that the clientele serviced by Great Dog are reasonably affluent, and I am certain that these people likely frequent other businesses in the area as well, making Great Dog an important community resource and economic stimulant.

Thus, Great Dog is not just another small business, but an important contributor to the community, whose services many people would be very sad to miss. It is time that the city code be updated to include appropriate zoning for such valuable services. Please consider this as an opportunity to make a paradigm shift, recognizing that pet daycare services such as Great Dog are becoming more and more desired by many homeowners in Seattle (and across the nation).

Sincerely,


Aimee Fullerton and Brian Burke
XXXXX Dayton Ave N.
Seattle WA 98133

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
RE: Great Dog Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98125

To whom it may concern:

I have been a resident in the Northgate neighborhood since I moved to Seattle over 6 years ago. I currently live in a townhouse directly across the street from the building that leases to Leslie Csokasy and Judi Anderson-Wright, owners of Great Dog Shop and Daycare. I have found Leslie, Judi and their exemplary staff to be more neighborly and caring than many of the tenants, homeowners, and business people in the immediate vicinity of their Roosevelt Way facility. I will explain the reasons for my beliefs momentarily. First, I would like to express to you my concern over the possible closure of the dog daycare facility.

I am saddened to learn of the possibility that the daycare facility may soon have to cease operations in its current location due to confusion about the proper zoning classification of a “dog daycare.” I fully support the effort by Great Dog to appeal the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development notice of violation regarding the dog daycare services Great Dog provides. I encourage the city government to reconsider the zoning codes that were established in 1982, I feel it is time these regulations are reclassified to include and support the growing industry of dog daycare services.

Dog daycare services are becoming increasingly popular in urban areas throughout the country. My first personal experience with dog daycare was about 7 years ago in a Los Angeles neighborhood. I have been a strong supporter of the concept ever since. Dog daycare services offer working individuals and busy families the piece of mind that their canine companions will be kept in a safe environment, benefiting from social interaction with humans and other dogs – inherently “pack” animals, this socialization benefits most dogs’ welfare.

Great Dog goes to great lengths to evaluate each individual dog before it is introduced to the “pack.” There is a screening process that begins with a formal application that questions behavior and health of each dog. It is my understanding that dogs first spend time with the daycare staff, and do not join any other dog until the new dog’s disposition is evaluated. Each new dog is then introduced to other dogs that assimilate well, dogs the staff knows well and whose temperament they can anticipate. If this initial meeting goes well, the new dog will slowly be introduced into the main daycare areas – one for smaller breed dogs and one for larger dogs. Each area of the daycare is staffed with trained personnel to watch over the dogs.

By placing my dog in daycare, I know that she will always have at least one person that is monitoring her, someone who helps enrich her life by providing safety, training, playtime and even a lap to sit on. Great Dog prevents my pet from becoming bored at home, from barking and disrupting my neighbors. As more dog owners choose daycare, we will see less destructive behavior from lonely doges at home. Perhaps there will be even fewer dogs surrendered to local shelters, because dog owners will have another option to provide a balanced life for their pet.

Great Dog Shop and Daycare is a privately owed small business in one of Seattle’s struggling neighborhoods. The City of Seattle has recently released plans to improve and redevelop the Northgate and Pinehurst communities. With this regenerated focus on a neighborhood that is no longer in its prime, the city should also embrace the existing small businesses that are striving to succeed and provide so much to the community. Great Dog has made a positive contribution to the neighborhood and is becoming increasingly successful. If Great Dog was not in my neighborhood, I would have to purchase my pet supplies from large chain stores where the staff may not have the training and background in animal care and products that is standard at Great Dog. I understand the shop itself is not in jeopardy, but the thriving part of Great Dog is the daycare services that are provided. Without the daycare, the grooming and retail areas would go out of business as well.

The idea of another industrial business taking over the space that Great Dog occupies only adds to the shady reputation that Northgate carries. Great Dog is a warm, friendly environment. Their doors are open to members of the community, dog and cat owners alike benefit from the existence of this small business.

I have been a loyal customer of Great Dog for the past one and a half years since my husband and I rescued a puppy from a family who no longer could care for a dog. When we made the decision to bring this puppy into our household, I immediately became a customer of Great Dog Shop – purchasing food, toys and bedding for the puppy we were about to bring home. I began to develop a relationship with the staff at Great Dog, they helped us fit the right collar and leash - ensuring the safety of my pet and offering suggestions for initial training and adjustment for this dog into a new home environment. As my dog, Katie, adjusted to her life in our home, we increasingly saw the need for her to receive more exercise and socialization.

It was at that time that we submitted an application for the daycare services. Katie now regularly attends the dog daycare twice a week. The staff at Great Dog has embraced Katie and I feel confident that she is treated as well as any of their own pets would be. Great Dog has helped us keep a healthy life style for our dog.

In addition to being a customer of Great Dog, I am a resident in the direct vicinity of the daycare facility. Over the last three years I have watched efforts made by Great Dog to ensure they are appeasing every neighbor complaint. In the summer with open windows there can be some disturbance from the barking, Great Dog has ensured that large garage doors are closed in the late afternoon to cut down this disturbance. Great Dog has added extra material around their fences to improve the look as well as the sound from the dogs when they are outside. They have gone to great efforts to keep the area clean, also adding potted plants for decoration.

Great Dog has proven time and again that they are considerate of the surrounding businesses and residents in the neighborhood. They took concern over a house that allegedly supplied drugs, and that is now abandoned. Great Dog staff took the time to watch over the neighborhood and alert people of the suspicions they had of this particular household. They worked with the police that lead to an investigation and removal of the occupants of that house. Other nearby businesses open only by appointment or do not welcome people to come in off the street. Some businesses operate at all hours of the day, noise disturbances have brought the police to the neighborhood on countless occasions after 10PM, 11PM and even disturbances at 4:00 in the morning.
Activities at the daycare have never resulted in such drastic action or anger by the community.

Great Dog, and all of the services they provide, is a positive aspect of our community. Leslie Csokasy and Judi Anderson-Wright’s business has helped bring people together. Rather than walking past an industrial building, there are always people around this retail environment. With the new library and community center that is in development, I can not foresee the City of Seattle wishing to close the doors on another business that is an integral part of this community. So many neighbors stop by this small business and support Great Dog, I think it would behoove the Department of Planning and Development to look at the regulations that may close these doors, please work with this community to ensure this Great business can keep the doors open.

Regards,

Johnie Junell
xxxx Roosevelt Way, NE #6 – Seattle, WA 98125 – Phone: 206/xxx-xxxx

From:
Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein
10327 45th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125

To:
The City of Seattle
Department of Planning and Development June 10, 2005

Re.: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98125.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in response to the threatened closure of Great Dog’s dog day care facilities by the City of Seattle. I can only assume that the source of such a request is a very unfortunate misunderstanding of Great Dog’s activities by the City Council. How else can one of the dog-friendliest places on earth (Seattle, WA) attempt to ban one of the most valuable support businesses for dog owners with full time jobs from their city? In this letter, I want to contribute my thoughts on the issue, and try to provide viable evidence that banning of dog day care facilities from the City of Seattle and closing existing ones will be a big mistake.

My first concern is that the City of Seattle is not aware of the significant difference between a kennel and a dog day care facility. Let me explain this using an. A full time employed couple who wants to have children faces the hardship of how to combine parental care for the child and at the same time earning money to support the family. In such cases, day care is a viable way to go. But wouldn’t you rather search for the best day care in town for your child than drop it off at the City Jail Division, a place where it is still safe but where quality of care you doubt. If this seems like a long shot to you, please invest a few hours and visit Great Dog’s day care facilities (or any dog day care facility in Seattle), and afterwards visit any kennel of your choice (yes, that takes a little while longer, especially during commute hours). I am sure that you will understand my day care versus city jail comparison.

But there are many more reasons why dog day care is so important for our community.

First, I love children and I love animals, and I want my child to grow up with a furry companion instead of being a single child with all the negative implications on social skills due to a lack of interaction with individuals of comparable needs or strength. But having a dog to fill this position only works if my dog has all the social skills and, most important of all, is used to interacting with humans at home, on the street, and around other animals. I can train my dog but this takes time. Actually, it takes a lot of time. And I cannot train my dog during work hours. Leaving my dog at home alone works against my training efforts. The dog gets bored while waiting all day. Obviously, when I come home in the evening it needs attention, wants to play, go for a walk. Not the right situation for a toddler, is it? Having my dog in dog day care provides both stimulation and exercise for my dog and in the evening she is mellow and easy around everyone. Part of this working so well is that contrary to a kennel, a good dog day care like Great Dog’s has professional supervision and care by multiple experienced dog trainers who are with the dogs all day long. Their efforts had a tremendous impact on improving social skills as well as confidence around both animals and humans for our dog. Thanks to them, I can feel perfectly confident that no child, adult, or animal will ever suffer from my dog’s behavior.

But there are many more positive aspects of having a small business like Great Dog in Seattle. The shop – and it is a pet supply shop as well – not only provides supplies to the neighborhood and thus reducing useless traffic to pet supermarkets somewhere on the outskirts. Great Dog Shoppe is something like a local dog owner community center. They owners care about dogs and their owners, often providing even free advice and help with any pet related problem you could possibly think of. I have to add that I made several friends in their shop because it was a place where you meet people of similar interest.

And a collocation point like Great Dog is the reason that I and my wife continue to shop the Pinehurst neighborhood. I would see no reason for driving there just for these other stores and restaurants if Great Dog were not there. I think they just add value to the local business community. And this point brings me to a speculative issue which is a big concern of mine: who wants small businesses like Great Dog’s dog day care facility to disappear from the City of Seattle?

What could be a reason behind this sudden attempt to close down dog day care facilities in Seattle? Could it be that some large pet supply supermarkets in town feel threatened by small pet stores which provide personal service to local communities? I love going to such smaller stores since they provide outstanding advice and service, care about my pet, take the time to educate me about choices, alternatives, etc. Fighting the discount prices of pet supply supermarkets, these local small businesses cannot survive on selling pet food and cat and dog toys. They need to provide additional services to survive, to provide employment for local people. Dog day care is a great service which serves the need for city communities, but also provides a surprisingly large number of jobs. Getting rid of dog day care facilities implies getting rid of competitor pet supply shops, getting rid of a significant number of local jobs, and supporting a small amount of pet supply supermarkets in the outskirts (paying taxes to other cities).

Last but not least, stripping the City of Seattle of dog day care facilities makes it very hard or impossible for many people to care for a dog, a dog that often was rescued from a City Shelter, and a poor dog which might end up once again in a City Shelter. All this, ending in a situation which leaves dog owners in horrible misery, destroying animal lives, and causing additional costs for the City of Seattle. And don’t forget to add the loss of sales taxes and income taxes for the City of Seattle.

Let me close after these dark thoughts with a plea to the City Council of Seattle to carefully investigate into the issue of dog day care facilities in general, and especially into the case of Great Dog Shoppe. I am confident that such an investigation will result in a revision of the City’s view of dog day care versus kennels, and that it will result in permitting continuation of a viable and beneficial type of small business within the city limits of Seattle.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions concerning a happy customer's point of view of the Great Dog Shoppe and dog day care facility. Contact information is given below.

Sincerely,

Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein

Contact information:
Home:
XXXXX 45th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125
Phone: (206) XXX-XXXX
Office:
Research Assistant Professor
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
 

June 8, 2005

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
cc: Mayor Nickels, City Council
Re: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, 98125

I am writing to express my concern regarding a recent notification Great Dog received from the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development. A notice of violation regarding their canine daycare services was issued recently.

According to the violation, Great Dog is operating a kennel, which is in violation of a 1982 ordinance. I have two points I want to address. They are 1) a review of the outdated ordinance required, and 2) encouragement of businesses in the Puget Sound area.

My understanding of the ordinance, specifically related to canine care, is it does not differentiate kennel operations from canine daycare operation. There certainly is a big difference between the two, and one that should be addressed and corrected. Great Dog does not provide, or offer kennel services. Great Dog offers canine day care services. I have taken my dogs there for several years, and have been impressed by their operations. Their entire staff is knowledgeable and professional. In a city where dogs outnumber children, the need for canine daycare is paramount.

Secondly, being a business owner in Seattle, I highly encourage business development and growth. Several years ago, Boeing chose to move their corporate headquarters to Chicago. Then the 9/11 attacks forced them to layoff tens of thousands of employees, additionally affecting thousands of related jobs in the region. The Puget Sound region suffered for several years, and then fell behind the national economy in recovery. Even today, while the national unemployment rate is 5.1%, the Puget Sound rate is 5.5%. It is incumbent upon the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development to encourage business growth, not discourage business growth.

I feel this is an opportune time for the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development to revise this nearly 25 year-old ordinance and recognize canine daycare separately from kennel services.

Finally, as you know, Mayor Nickels and the Seattle City Council agreed in December 2003 to a momentous agreement on Northgate that cleared the way for a $100 million in public and private investments, new jobs and new tax revenues for the city. The agreement also creates greater citizen involvement in future planning. As Mayor Nickels said, “With today’s council actions we are about to begin a vibrant rebirth at Northgate. I believe our agreement shows how effectively we can work together to revitalize our neighborhoods and ensure the creation of good, new jobs that will keep our local economy thriving in the years ahead.”

Please do not ignore Mayor Nickels and the Seattle City Council. Encourage revitalization of the area. Great Dog provides jobs to the area, contributing first hand to this revitalization. Let them continue to be an important member of the business and neighborhood community. Revise the ordinance if necessary, but do not close down a business that encourages and contributes to our economic growth.

Sincerely,

Charles Wright
XXX University St
Seattle, WA 98101
 

To whom it may concern,

I recently learned that the city is considering closing the Great Dog Daycare on Roosevelt in North Seattle. As irritated as I am that this is even being considered, I also understand that you could not possibly know what these ladies do for animals and the community in general. Leslie and Judi have dedicated their lives to animals, especially retired greyhounds. They are the hardest working foster coordinators that I have ever met, they save these dogs lives, they provide a valuable service to our community by taking care of our best friends while we work and they provide jobs to several people, and in times like this, I don't see how closing a business (especially one that follows the rules) is a smart decision.

This shop is a part of our neighborhood and it is a place I am proud to patron. I can, for what it is worth, personally vouch for the fact that these ladies do NOT provide overnight boarding for dogs as is alleged in the complaint. Believe me, I wish they would and Lord knows I have tried to get them to board my dogs a couple of times and they would not do it. At the time I didn't understand what the big deal is, but now I can see what they were concerned about. It would be a shame to close down a business that not only followed the laws, but understood why those laws were made and respect them as much as Leslie and Judi.

I also believe that people should be able to confront their accusers face to face and present their side of the story. Not allowing a public hearing on an issue like this is a prime example of why Americans are losing trust in their government. If the only recourse someone has to protect their livelihood is to send letters into a group of people that are so far removed from the situation that they have never seen, or for that matter probably know where the shop in question is, then how can a non-biased opinion be made?

In short, I would hope you understand that the hundreds of people that see Great Dog as a benefit to our community, should trump the one or two people that may have complained.

Thank you for your time,

Mark Kramer
- Registered voter and community activist

XXXXX 8th Ave. N.E.
Seattle WA 98125

Andrea Ryce
XXXX NE Radford Drive
Seattle, WA 98115

June 11, 2005.

To Whom It May Concern:

It has come to my attention that the existence of Great Daycare, Inc. is in jeopardy. I would like to share with you my experiences thus far with the staff of Great Dog and why a decision to deny them the ability to be of such service to the community and dog owners of Seattle would be a grave mistake.

I recently moved to Seattle from Washington DC to take a position at the University of Washington. I am the proud yet harried owner of Oscar, a 7-year old Jack Russell Terrier, who requires a constant amount of energy and supervision, as terriers do. My first introduction to Great Dog was through the Jack Russell Terriers Meet-Up group which was created and is organized by Judi Anderson-Wright, one of the co-owners of Great Dog and the owner of Opie, a Jack Russell rescue. I felt immediately welcomed into the group, and the opportunity to meet with other terrier owners while allowing our dogs to release pent-up terrier energy has been invaluable. Judi has generously shared the Great Dog venue as well as her considerable experience and wisdom concerning terrier temperament and training. This kind of leadership, especially regarding the rescue and proper training of terriers and supporting their owners, is a rare and invaluable gift to terrier owners, Great Dog, and the City of Seattle.

My decision to make a move across the country to Seattle was in part motivated by the quality of life that is afforded to individuals living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I was also attracted to the community values and general sense of responsibility towards each other and the environment that Seattle and its inhabitants possess. My responsibility as a dog owner to control and care for my pet is made easier by dog daycare facilities, and Oscar enjoys one day a week at the Great Dog facility, as well as our regular monthly terrier meet-ups, as well as obedience and agility classes. It is a very special place that goes above and beyond the call of duty towards caring for their clients, both canine and human. Like many other people in Seattle, my dog is a very important part of my life. Great Dog makes me a better dog owner, and I would seriously question a decision made on the part of City officials, and thus my own decision to remain in Seattle, that would reduce the quality of my life so considerably.

I hope this testimonial gives pause to those in a position to make this important decision, as well as to provide insight into how important facilities such as Great Dog are to people in my position as a young, working professional who loves her pet and strives to be a responsible pet owner. To deny myself as well as the other dog owners the incredible gifts that Judi Anderson-Wright and Leslie Csokasy have to offer would be irresponsible and short-sighted on the behalf of the city of Seattle.


Sincerely,

Andrea Ryce

11 June 2005

To: City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development

Subject: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE


We were both surprised and dismayed to hear that Great Dog Shop and Daycare is under threat of being closed down by the City. If we understand the issue correctly, the reason is that the City classifies Great Dog as a kennel and the neighborhood is not zoned to permit kennels. It has always been our understanding that a kennel, by definition, boards cats and dogs overnight for one night to weeks at a time. Kenneling is not among the services offered by Great Dog

As probably has been brought to your attention, no less an authority than the Wall Street Journal has written about the growing popularity of daycare centers for urban dogs. These facilities provide a significant service to the city, the dog owner and the dog. They allow city dogs the opportunity to exercise while running and interacting with other dogs, thus socializing them in the process. They allow owners the opportunity to be free of their dogs for a day and at the same time socializes dogs with humans. Finally, the combination of healthy and socialized dogs means that unpleasant and anti social canine behavior is reduced if not eliminated.

Our dog, Truman, has been going to day care at Great Dog for the past 18 months, ever since he was a puppy. Great Dog has helped us raise Truman as a sweet natured dog around both other dogs and people. The exercise opportunities have assured a healthy and well exercised dog. Its location allows me to drop Truman off in the morning and drive to the Northgate bus terminal for a bus ride down town. But this is only a part of why we bring him to Great Dog specifically.

The owners of Great Dog and the staff have worked tirelessly for the past two years to build a successful business and provide a valuable service to their patrons and neighbors alike. We have watched the business grow and have seen the kinds of investment the owners have plowed back into the business. The commercial complex they are in has benefited from their presence immeasurably. This is also a small business, not a megastore, and as such deserves to be encouraged.

Great Dog has continued to add programs and services over this same period. In addition to offering a line of quality pet products, they also provide one of the best grooming services in Seattle. They host dog training classes that extend from the very basic to the very advanced. Truman will be taking a therapy training session there soon that will qualify him to work with seniors and children. The staff is more knowledgeable than in most pet shops and they have worked hard to assure that they provide the best training advice possible.

We have already mentioned their proximity to Northgate, but the point needs emphasis. Were Great Dog be forced to move further out of the city, its effectiveness would be seriously compromised. We need to have this and other similar facilities in the city, close to where people live and work. Kennels can be located further out of town because they are not a part of peoples’ daily lives. Day care is quite different; it needs to be convenient if it is to be used.

There is another point that may be obvious, but needs to be noted. Great Dog is a woman owned business. We have never doubted that women were every bit as capable of creating and running a business as men, but we know that they have had to face obstacles. The women at Great Dog have demonstrated that they have the ability and the work ethic to make a business work.

We would hope that the City will take a closer look at its definition of a kennel and create a distinction between kennels and daycare facilities. Furthermore, we hope that Great Dog will be permitted to continue to operate at their present location under this new category. Canine day care facilities provide a useful service to the community by promoting responsible dog ownership and providing the means to achieve this end.

Bill and Maryanne Blake
XXXX Matthews Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98115
206-XXX-XXXX

June 13, 2005


To Who It May Concern:

This letter is in regards of the zoning issue for dog daycares in the city of Seattle and specifically about Great Dog Daycare and Shoppe.

I have known the owners and business of Great Dog for two years and am confident that they run a superior business. I frequently visit their facility and know the quality of service provided there. My profession and education as a veterinarian put me in a unique situation to evaluate life from the dog’s point of view, the owner’s point of view (our city’s residents) and also the crisis of thousands of dogs dying in Washington state’s shelters.

The number one cause of dogs being surrendered to shelters is behavior problems. Dealing with these dogs from surrender to either readoption or euthanasia is a huge taxpayer cost. Ask Don Jordan, director of Seattle Animal Control. Look at the budget for Animal Control. Unwanted animals cost taxpayers thousands upon thousands each year.

Because dogs evolved from wolves, they desire to be in groups. They are “pack” oriented animals and strongly prefer not to be left alone. When left alone, some dogs are ok. However, many dogs become anxious and become destructive, undesirable pets. These are either  destroyed, rehomed or surrendered at shelters. This scenario is well-documented by Board Certified Veterinary Behavior specialists.

The advent of dog day care has revolutionized the stay-at-home dog while owners head off to work. Many dogs are child substitutes, but must be left home while owners earn a living. People want their companion but don’t want a miserable or destructive dog. The business of dog day cares offers a solution to dog owners to keep their dogs safe, exercised, happy and healthier while preventing more surrenders to shelters. Dogs are excited to be at day care, and go home tired from their adventurous day. This is good for dog and for owner. Dog day cares are truly a savior for many dogs and their owners.

Because our culture has changed and become more aware of the value of pets, it is expected that our laws must change as well. I feel certain that you will find a solution to make specific zoning allowances for dog day cares in the city of Seattle. I fear that the consequences of treating dog day cares the same as boarding kennels would place many day cares out of reach for most city dwelling dog lovers. The public outcry of Seatte residents could be immense.

I have been a veterinarian for eighteen years. I have worked for the American Kennel Club as their veterinary columnist for fifteen years. I am an expert in dogs, an expert in the overpopulation crisis in the United States, and I beg you to review this issue very carefully. Please consider keeping all dog day cares in Seattle open. Please formulate zoning ordinances to allow and encourage these businesses to continue serving the canine and human citizens of our city. The entire nation will be watching this issue. Our city should serve as an example to others.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Christine L. Wilford, DVM
Seattle Washington
June 13, 2005
 

June 13, 2005


To the office of the Mayor
City of Seattle
The Honorable Gregory J. Nickels

RE: Great Dog Daycare

SENT VIA FACSIMILE

Dear Mayor Nickels;

It is imperative that your office becomes aware of a zoning and community planning issue currently in front of Seattle DPD. I am referring to Great Dog Daycare (located at 11333 Roosevelt Way NE). They have recently been the target of a code enforcement action and need your help.

I am currently a friend, customer, and contractor to Great Dog Daycare. This wonderful community asset has been in business for nearly five years (since February 2001) and actually first introduced the concept of dog daycare to Seattle. When founder and co-owner Leslie Csokasy checked with Seattle DPD at the time of her original business license application, she was told that the use of a dog daycare was permitted at her proposed location based on the existing zoning classification. On the basis of that information she and her business partner Judi Anderson-Wright have spent many tens of thousands of dollars and countless thousands of hours building a thriving animal services business that benefits the greater Seattle area. I have included with this letter an attachment that outlines the contributions of Great Dog to the Seattle public. I am aware that you and DPD have received many other letters of support for Great Dog outlining the worth of this neighborhood treasure.

During the almost 5 years that Great Dog has been in business, there have been numerous inspections by City of Seattle personnel; some for fire safety and some for design and construction of an outdoor potty area for the dogs. At no time has been a word said about the use of a dog daycare not being permitted at the present location. At no time during the past 4½ years has there been a neighborhood complaint about noise, odor, traffic or any other issue, though the facility is close to residential uses. The first and only complaint has come this spring from an anonymous source that stated that Great Dog was operating a kennel in a zone not licensed for kennels. Subsequent observation by DPD personnel witnessed Great Dog staff hosing down the outdoor play and potty areas, and also noted dog crates (used for ‘time outs’ for obstreperous dogs) inside the building. This evidently prompted DPD to deduce that Great Dog is a kennel!

A kennel houses dog and or cats 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, feeds these animals, and has the attendant noise, traffic, and smell and waste impacts on a neighborhood. For those reasons, kennels are appropriately only permitted in zones where those impacts will not adversely affect surrounding less intensive uses like residential and neighborhood businesses. In fact, an old joke among kennel operators is to find a gun range and locate your new kennel next to it!

By contrast, Great Dog baby-sits dogs for their busy owners between the hours of 7 am and 7 pm Monday through Friday. During those times staff that monitors enriching activities and dog interactions closely supervises the dogs in their 5,000 s.f. indoor facility near Northgate. Great Dog includes a grooming shop, a retail shop, and dog daycare areas for large and small dogs, a small office and several activity rooms, and offers training courses, but is in no way, form or fashion a kennel! No dogs stay overnight at Great Dog, nor are any dogs outside after 7 pm or before 7 am.

The American pet industry is forecast to reach the $36 billion mark this year and represents a powerful animal loving group of voters. When the Seattle land use and zoning code were last updated, the use classification of dog daycare wasn’t anticipated. Thanks in great measure to Great Dog Daycare; this new business use is now as much a part of our Seattle culture as child daycares are, and yet dog daycare is not addressed in the code. Currently there are at least a dozen dog daycares in the City of Seattle. All of these hard working small business owners operate at their own peril until the use of dog daycare is included in the Seattle Municipal Code.

Now is the time for the City of Seattle to draft model land use code to cover the burgeoning dog daycare industry. Seattle can lead the nation in planning as we so often have done. This is a real opportunity for the local planning community but a terrible travail for Great Dog, which faces being driven out of business if they are not given time to address the zoning issues at their location. For 4½ years Great Dog has operated openly and above board, hiding nothing about their business, based on representations made to Ms. Csokasy by the City of Seattle. Please Mayor Nickels, bring the weight of your office to bear on Seattle DPD now to allow Great Dog Daycare the time they need to work with the City of Seattle in order to amend the zoning code to first define, and then properly allow dog daycares into appropriate zone classifications. Thank you for your attention.

Respectfully submitted,

Miriam Rose
XXXXX Dayton Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98133
 

June 13, 2005
City of Seattle
Dear Sir or Madam:
I’m writing you this letter in an effort to communicate what a wonderful company Great Dog Daycare is and how much I’ve become dependant on both their services as well as the people.
Before I made the decision to adopt my dog Sophie (an Italian Greyhound) three years ago the search began for a quality place where she can be well taken care of and loved while my husband and I both work. When I found Great Dog Daycare and went for a consultation and “inspection” of my own, I found all of the elements that were important for creating a comforting, controlled, clean, safe and loving environment that would make me comfortable enough to leave my “new baby.” And, Sophie has been going there ever since.
My husband and I work full time as well as travel quite a bit and have become tremendously dependant on Great Dog Daycare. We, and of course Sophie have developed such a rapport with the people there that when we travel, a few of the staff will take Sophie home with them at night to baby sit her at their homes. This goes well beyond simply “watching” the dogs; there is a true love for animals with the staff. We have not kenneled her ONCE in all the time that we have had her and we travel ALL of the time. Not only have we found the most wonderful daycare for Sophie, but they have developed special relationships with our “children” which allows those of us who send our dogs there to feel good about leaving our dogs while we work and/or travel.
I cannot even begin to fathom the lack of developmental and social skills, not to mention the increase in separation anxiety my dog would have had I not been able to send her to Great Dog Daycare the minute she was old enough to go. I’ve even tried other daycare facilities (closer to home) however, Sophie was not as comfortable or happy as she is when she goes to Great Dog.
I realize that I am but one person writing this letter, but words cannot express the impact that Great Dog Daycare has had on my life and the life of my dog. We are able to work and travel all the while knowing that our only “baby” is not only well cared for, but is in a loving environment.
Without such a wonderful facility with the most caring staff, my dog will be left home ALONE all day long, with no social interaction and left to her own devices. What kind of environment is that for a living creature? She deserves to have a safe and happy place to go while I can’t be with her. I REFUSE to kennel her and will do whatever it takes to help ensure the continuation of business for Great Dog Daycare. Additionally, I am communicating this to as many people as I know in our community and depending on the outcome, we will plan on sending a strong message back to the city during election time.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Fukunaga
 

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
Re: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE 98125


To whom it may concern:

I have recently been made aware that the Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility in the Pinehurst Neighborhood has been issued a citation that will force them to close their doors as of July 1, 2005. I must say that I am very disappointed with Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development, and the City Government as well, for failing to fully recognize the difference between a kenneling facility and a daycare facility, and the inherent need for such a distinction. Seattle’s Land Use Zoning codes are archaic and do not fully recognize today’s business classifications. Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility falls into one of those niches that is getting burned on the technicality, and it is the City of Seattle’s responsibility to acknowledge that and correct the situation.

My wife and I both work long hours and dreaded leaving our young golden retriever, Arrow, home by himself, restricted to the kitchen. When we learned of Great Dog, we were thrilled to send our “little one” to their facility twice a week. This is not disposable income for either of us, but the benefits far outweigh the monetary fees that go with sending our dog to “daycare.” Arrow has the ability to socialize, interact, and play with other dogs, as well as employees. In fact, he has so much fun that when we pick him up at the end of the day, he is asleep in the back seat of our car by the time we are out of the parking lot. Great Dog’s owners and staff are beyond courteous and take a genuine interest in not only Arrow, but every four legged friend that enters their facility.

Great Dog is not only a daycare facility for us. Because of their role in both ours and Arrows life, my wife and I have decided to put Arrow through the training and certification to become a Delta Society Pet Therapy dog, enabling him to give back to the community. This amongst multiple other programs that Great Dog offers is testament to their involvement with the community beyond their walls. They are an exemplary business that should be recognized for their role in bettering the community of tomorrow, not shunned and closed due to an out of date Land Use Zoning code.

I herby petition to the City of Seattle that they immediately revisit the classification for Canine Daycare Facilities to accommodate these such places so that we may give our dog a facility to socialize, interact and play during the day while we work. The alternative; he spends 11 hours at home, by himself.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, or would like me to elaborate of the need for such facilities.

Sincerely,

Nathan Brown
 

June 13, 2005

To: The City of Seattle, Dept. of Planning and Development
Re: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98125

Attention: Planning and Development Supervisor/Committee,

I have been a Day Care recipient for almost a year of Great Dog and desperately need this kind of care for my dog. Before I found Great Dog, I went through a series of so-called ‘home dog care’ where my dog was ill treated, contracted preventable conditions (e.g. worms) and started developing behavioral problems as a result (e.g. lunging at strangers-a precursor to biting). I even tried leaving her at home for the day (8am-5pm) but her behavior only got worse. The result was numerous trips to the vet and other sources that caused great financial & emotional hardship/ stress for me, which was reflected in my work activities

At Great Dog, I can leave my dog early and pick her up late if I have to of great benefit in my job as busy faculty at the UW-Seattle. And though I might leave her for extended periods (7am-7pm), I know she is well cared because of her behavior. For one thing, the lunging behavior is gone (I received some good tips about dealing with this at Great Dog). Also my dog is eager to go in the morning and happy to see me in the evenings.

The loving, knowledgeable, competent, and humane treatment she receives is unlike any I have found so far. And believe me I have looked a lot. The staff takes the time to discuss her day with me and like day care for my children (who are now grown). There is a consistency from my home to Great Dog that diminishes the stress of my day because my dog is not stressed and can provide emotional, physical, and mental support for me I need from a stressful job. I simply cannot fathom this service going way. It is so vitally needed.

I’ve heard that one reason for possible closure is that Great Dog is providing kennel services. My understanding is kenneling means overnight care and I have never seen any evidence of that. In fact, just the opposite has occurred. I’ve asked about boarding (kenneling) my dog there and have been told more than once that they DO NOT keep dogs overnight. I witnessed this myself when picking up my dog at the very end of the day, I have personally seen the owners, close the facility down and take the remaining dogs with them to their cars.

Also I thought when I came that the facility would have a lot of barking, but again I’ve come at all hours of the day and the noise and barking is minimal, which has surprised me a great deal. I owe this to the competent handling by all the staff with the animals.

If this service was not available, my dog might end up like my very inconsiderate neighbor who leaves his dog out all day and all night unattended. This dog barks all the time and has broken down our fence more than once in an effort for human (and dog) contact. Please recognize this very important service for dog owners and it’s importance service for keeping dogs emotionally and physically happy.

Sincerely,

Nia and Glen Watabayashi
XXXXX 3rd Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98125
 

To:  The City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development
Re:  Great Dog Shop and Day Care

I learned over the weekend that Great Dog Day Care might have to stop operating in its current location due to a possible zoning violation based on a very old city regulation.  Needless to say, this news has been extremely upsetting.

As a long time resident of Seattle, I moved to the Northgate area approximately five years ago.  I got my first dog ever, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Sadie Mae, three years ago.

As a middle aged, full time employed, single homeowner  I love having a companion animal.  However,  puppies and dogs need company, socialization, and exercise during the day to be happy, healthy and well adjusted.  Without Great Dog neither Sadie's quality of life nor mine would be the same.

I recently moved from a house with a yard to a condominium, counting on the presence of the dog daycare as do many condo dwellers.  As the city promotes more and more density, the need for facilities like this becomes more and more important.

Sadie has been going two to three days per week for over two years.  I can assure you that they are not boarding dogs and that the day care hours are from 7a.m. to 7p.m.

Great Dog is more than a Dog Day Care.  The staff and owners are involved in a wide range of community activities and simply put, provide an excellent all around environment for dogs, pet owners, and visitors in general.

It is time for the City of Seattle to update its zoning laws to accommodate this relatively new animal care business.  I personally would be very upset to lose Great Dog.  I also believe that the neighborhood would lose a valuable asset.

Sincerely,

Brooke Thorner.

Linda R. Tangredi, CBCP
XXXX NE 55th Street
Seattle, Washington 98105-2940

June 12, 2005

Re: Great Dog Daycare & Shoppe
Notice to Close Daycare Facility – July 1, 2005

Dear City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development

I was shocked and dismayed by the news that the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development has recently given notice to Leslie Csokasy & Judi Anderson-Wright (co-owners of Great Dog Daycare & Shoppe) to cease providing dog day-care based on a dated, vague and general zoning law established in 1982 that classifies dog daycare services as a kennel. Should this overly general zoning law be enforced as it currently reads, the City of Seattle will be doing a HUGE disservice to community and ALL the animal lovers who rely on the finest and most reliable Doggie Day Care provided anywhere in the Puget Sound area.

I have known Leslie Csokasy since 1998 and can personally attest to her dedication to animal rescue (greyhound adoption and other pets) and her outstanding efforts to offer the finest doggie daycare, complete animal services and highly competitive retail shop. I have been fortunate to have visited many daycare facilities throughout the United States and NO other daycare facility can come close to the quality of service and care provided.

The services offered by Great Dog Daycare & Shoppe include much more than just daycare. It is imperative that the committee reviewing this case clearly understands that the facility DOES NOT offer any kennel services. To the contrary, the business operates totally opposite to what one would expect from a kennel. The dogs are not confined to crates or kennel “suites” but are provided supervision, stimulation and the finest care by carefully trained and dedicated staff. The dogs are segregated (if necessary) by size or unique behavior, taught social skills and appropriate behavior, just to name a few of the multitude of services. All this is provided in a large and extremely clean facility.

Busy residents who work all day depend on this service in a city where quality facilities are few. It is very easy to ignore the needs of the community just to enforce a ridiculous law. Please, when you are considering this case, consider the growing problem of aggressive or un-socialized dogs, pets that are reluctantly given up dues to unavailable or poor daycare, or worse, dogs that are left alone unsupervised only to encourage destructive or inappropriate behaviors.

I strongly oppose the actions taken against Great Dog Daycare & Shoppe and sincerely believe that the City of Seattle needs to take a long and hard look at its outdated zoning law and revise it appropriately. YOU MUST find in favor of this wonderful company for the sake of the hundreds of responsible citizens and their dogs who depend on this DAY-TIME care. Your representatives MUST personally see the quality of the services offered to appreciate the uniqueness of Great Dog. I suggest that Great Dog Daycare & Shoppe become a “model” from which other daycare facilities should aspire to. Please do not turn your back!

Sincerely,

Linda Tangredi
 

To whom it may concern,

I was very disappointed when I went into Great Dog Daycare last Thursday to discover that, over night, the City of Seattle had decided to try and shut down the facility.  I am a single, professional woman who relies on dog daycare to take care of my puppy while I am at work, and this decision, if put into action, will greatly affect my daily life for the worse.

One of the reasons I adopted my dog in the first place was because I was made to be aware that facilities such as Great Dog Daycare even existed.  I would never be able to leave my tiny Chihuahua in my backyard because he could be mauled or eaten by a feral animal.  I would also feel extremely guilty leaving him inside my home day after day by himself with no fresh air.  Dogs are meant to socialize and remain in a pack.  Before I put my puppy into daycare he was wary of strange dogs, but now he is outgoing and brave for such a little guy!  He is well adjusted to being around many people and new dogs, which translates into him being a very well-socialized puppy.

Great Dog Daycare has allowed me to be a part of an outside community as well.  I live in the Fremont area but travel to Northgate because Great Dog is such a wonderful environment.  The staff members are amazingly kind and involved and seem as if they wouldn't want to be anywhere else.  I even considered working there after I got laid off from my last position because it has such a happy atmosphere and everyone seems to have so much fun!

As a King County employee, I understand how the government regards rules and regulations as serious and reasons for liability.  However the claim that was made is absolutely absurd!  I remember asking about animal boarding when I first enrolled my dog because I travel out of state frequently.  The staff kindly gave me the names and numbers of boarding facilities nearby because Great Dog Daycare is a DAYCARE ONLY.  Whoever made this claim obviously knows nothing about Great Dog Daycare.  If the City of Seattle wants to shut down this wonderful facility on a false claim with little investigation or consideration for what it means to the community, then I am ashamed to live in such a place.

Sincerely,

Denise Ozeri
 

June 13, 2005

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development

Re: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE 98125

To whom it may concern:

I am very disappointed to learn that, as a result of out-of-date zoning classifications, Great Dog may soon find its doors closed. I would like to petition the City of Seattle to develop an official classification for canine daycare services that differ from kennel services.

Canine kennels and daycare services are drastically different, and should be categorized as such. The daycare service offered by Great Dog is a wonderful social experience for dogs, which allows them to run around and interact with other animals. This interaction – closely monitored by Great Dog staff – socializes the dogs to behave well around one another and reduces the likelihood of aggressive behavior. The daycare service keeps otherwise bored and lonely dogs stimulated during the day. Great Dog doesn’t board dogs overnight and imposes heavy fines on any late pick-ups, ensuring that daycare ends at 7pm sharp.

As a customer of Great Dog, I can attest to their positive role in the local community beyond the daycare services. When my husband and I decided to train our Golden Retriever to be a part-time therapy dog, we were thrilled to learn that Great Dog offered the Delta Society Pet Therapy Certification program. In addition, Great Dog as developed a “Pit Bull Awareness Project,” “Operation Opie”, and “Reading with Rover” to create education programs within the community.

The City of Seattle hasn’t updated the codes for animal based services in over 20 years – and clearly the time has come. Seattle is supposed to be a progressive, dog-friendly city. It is the responsibility of the city to act swiftly to correct these archaic zoning classifications. I trust that a solution can be found that is mutually beneficial for the city, Great Dog, and its patrons.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,


Nina Iacono

**/Nina Iacono /***/
/*//Marketing Communications//// ///
///Washington Mutual//// ///
///999 3rd Ave, Ste 2913//// ///
///Seattle, WA 98104//// ///

To:  The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development

Re:  Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98125
 

                                                                                               June 13, 2005

Dear Representatives of the City:

           It is of great concern that I learned about the possible closing of the Great Dog Daycare facility in the Pinehurst neighborhood.

           My husband and I, like many others who bring their dogs to Great Dog for their doggie daycare, are busy, working professionals who are away from home most if not all of the day.  Five years ago, we began bringing our dog, then a puppy, to a daycare facility in Northern California 5 days a week.  Exasperated by having to rush home during lunch breaks and in between appointments, I turned to doggie daycare as a way to keep my dog and at the same time not neglect him by leaving him alone for hours at a stretch.  I initially had laughed at the idea of a dog daycare facility, but quickly learned how essential it is in a society where many households now include two people who work outside of the home and lead very busy lives.  Over the years that our dog has been in daycare, we have been tremendously impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the people who work in this growing new industry.

           That has been especially true of those who work for Great Dog.  Under the able leadership of Leslie Csokasy and Judi Anderson-Wright, the staff at Great Dog works to maintain a professional environment, while also being extremely attentive to the personal needs of their clients—human and canine.  They keep the place immaculately clean, and supervise the dogs at all times, ensuring that the dogs do not get worked up and start barking too loudly or for too extended a time.  Yet, the dogs that go to Great Dog clearly love being there; they can’t wait to get there, and are always greeted by staff who know each dog’s name, unique personality, and who are ready to shower them with lots of love and attention.  It certainly allows those of us who bring our animals there to leave them knowing that the dogs will be supervised, given plenty of attention, and get lots of exercise (rather than sitting around the house or yard all day).

           Doggie daycare represents changing circumstances in our society, and the zoning laws must be updated to reflect those circumstances.  Great Dog, like other facilities in Washington and elsewhere, is /not/ a boarding facility.  It opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 7:00 p.m.; it does not provide accommodations to board dogs overnight.  There are other businesses that provide those services.  Rather, Great Dog provides a much needed service to members of the community:  daycare.  Besides providing a space for dogs to play during the day, Great Dog also works with dogs and their owners to improve dogs’ behavior, to increase their responsiveness to directions, and to overall make for a happier, healthier dog (and owner).

           I would be very happy to work with the appropriate committee to help redefine the current zoning regulations to reflect the new industry of dog daycare.  To do so is a win-win solution for our city.  It will only add to the reputation of Seattle as a “livable” city for those who call it home.



                                                                                   Sincerely,

                                                                             Zari M. Weiss and David

June 13, 2005

To: City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development
Re: Great Dog Store and Daycare, 11333 Roosevelt Way

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been been a customer of Great Dog since April 2005. I came to know of Great Dog, initially through its co-owner, Judi Anderson-Wright, at  a devastating time in our lives. Our 9 year-old daughter, Siri,  was at home, bedridden, and dying of cancer. We were not able to grant Siri her first wish (through the Make-A-Wish foundation), which was to take a family trip to Hawaii, as she was too ill. Her substitute wish was to get a puppy. The puppy arrived with a certificate for obedience classes and other items donated by Great Dog.
Judi was tremendously helpful after the puppy came. She made multiple visits to our home to work with Siri and the puppy so that Siri could safely hold and pet her. She brought therapy dogs to visit to give Siri more opportunities to interact with animals. She helped us with immediate training needs so that Roxie could adjust and so we could manage her during a very difficult time. Judi also took Roxie to Day Care at Great Dog when we were overwhelmed with caring for Siri and with our shock and grief.

Since Siri's death on April 20th, I have brought Roxie to Great Dog for daycare and grooming . We are signed up for obedience class in July. All of my interactions with staff at Great Dog have been positive. They were aware of our circumstances and showed us nothing but kindness, sensitivity and professionalism. Great Dog continued to donate dog daycare services to our family. I saw nothing at the facility that would concern me in any way. There are at least 2 dog daycare facilities closer to our house than Great Dog. I will continue to go out of my way to bring Roxie to Great Dog because of the incredibly positive experience we have had there. Roxie is a gift that Siri gave to our family, and we could not have realized that gift without the help of Judi Anderson-Wright and Great Dog.
I hope that the issues with Great Dog and the City can be resolved so that they may continue to serve our community.

Sincerely,

Fran S. Kremen
XXXX Warren Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
 

June 13, 2005

To whom it may concern,

As an employee of The Great Dog Shoppe I was not only surprised but distraught to hear of the City’s decision to try and close us down. Great Dog, as well as many of the other daycares in Seattle is in many ways more of a community for compassionate animal people than it is just a business, and far from a kennel. I offer my opinions in effort to help change and expand to City’s definitions of animal care in the city and save the community of Great Dog and all of Seattle’s dog daycares.
Taking away Great Dog would also take away from the surrounding business community as many of our clients patronize them as well and would no longer have a reason to if Great Dog did not bring them through the area. We have long since entered the new millennium and with it new waves of animal care where people take care of their animals more like children than pets. Pet owners of 2005 are realizing that their pets need more than just kibble and a fence, they need to feel loved and accepted or they will never be truly happy pets. Dogs that go to daycare can find that love and acceptance at Great Dog, our goal is to make every dog feel special and engaged. As people realize more and more about the needs of their dogs, the demand for Dog Daycare is only going to keep growing. Customers come to us for the extra care, connection, and devotion we share with their pets, a connection not often found at a kennel where dogs are cooped up all day and hardly engaged in anything. At Great Dog we do it a little different, we see the potential in every dog to be a well behaved canine citizen and companion. Many of our clients have pet/s with special needs, such as a seizure prone or separation anxiety dogs; these needs could swiftly turn into an emergency if the dog was left home alone and untreated. I can say personally that I care deeply for every animal that visits us at Great Dog, and I speak for myself and my fellow employees when I say that we go the extra mile with clients and their pets to help solve problems and enrich both parties’ lives.
At this point I’d like to share my dog’s story; he in many ways would not be with me today if it weren’t for Great Dog. I share my life with my 9 year old greyhound Cruise. I adopted Cruise last October after he became my boss’s foster dog; he stole my heart with his big eyes and gentle manner. Just recently he was diagnosed with an Osteosarcoma in his back left leg. With the amazing support of Great Dog and our clients both Cruise and I received we both made it through his cancer. My options were to put him to sleep or amputate his leg; I chose life for him because I knew he had too much dog left in him to give up yet. The surgery was costly approximately $1200, but with the serious effort of my bosses, Greyhound Pets of America, Cascade Pet Hospital, and many generous clients and coworkers enough money was raised that I paid only $200 out-of-pocket. I would never have been able to give Cruise the real chance at life that he got without the community I have become part of through my work. I would also like to tell you that I and two of my fellow coworkers have all just moved into a house 2 blocks away from Great Dog to make life easier for us. Cruise loves being able to run to work and see all his friends, and I can certainly enjoy the convenience of being minutes from work, and all the business of Northgate. Many things in my life have changed for the better since I was hired at Great Dog, the work environment and attitude is worth saving it alone for me, but the many clients and pets that would be missing out is what I ask you to keep in mind.


Sincerely,

Jessica Ford
 

Dear City of Seattle Department of Planning-
I am writing on behalf of Great Dogs. It's a wonderful place and my dogs love going there. Please know Great Dogs is an asset to the Northgate and surrounding communities. Shutting it down would be a great loss of our four-legged companions.

Sincerely-
Terri K. Lewis

Dear Council Member:
I have recently learned that Great Dog Daycare is facing closure due to an out of date zoning law in their neighborhood.  I am writing to express my support of Great Dog and to protest its closure.
I am the proud owner of a hyperactive 8.5 pound Chihuahua named Scruffy.  Scruffy, like most chihuahuas, is a big dog in a small dog body.  He likes to run and bark and generally tear things up in order to express his energy. Every Saturday Scruffy and I count on the small dog fun run at Great Dog to work off some of his energy in a safe, clean environment.  There are no large dogs to threaten Scruffy, there is knowledgeable staff to oversee the activities, weather issues are not a problem because we can play indoors or out and they are great consultants for behavioral issues.  I have recommended Great Dog to many small dog owners as a viable alternative to the parks.
Scruffy and I also attend the monthly chihuahua meet up.  I have been going to the meet ups for about a year and a half, since before Great Dog started hosting them.  The meet ups really took off after Great Dog started hosting. People felt safer, it is cleaner than a park and there is a staff person working at all times who is available for information.  Having the option to meet other chihuahuas and their owners in such a safe place has been invaluable.
There are many owners who simply will not take their dogs to the park out of concern for safety.  This is not a finicky dog owner not wanting to get dirty.  Many of the chihuahuas who come to the meet up are under 10 pounds.  If a dog who is 30 pounds (still small enough for the small/shy dog area at Magnuson park) come barreling down on a dog who is three times smaller than him, there is a large chance the smaller dog will get hurt.
If Great Dog were to close, would I find someplace else to play with my dog? Of course I would.  However, I know that Great Dog has made my dog a better canine citizen due to the skills he and I have learned there and the chance to play with other dogs of the same size in a safe, clean environment.
Thanks for your time.  Please feel free to call me if you have any questions or would like more information.
Sincerely,
Katie Heidere
XXXX Greenwood Ave N.
Seattle, WA 98103 

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been a customer of Great Dog for two years and am very saddened to learn of the possibility that the Great Dog “Fun Runs” will be forced to close due to the fact that the City of Seattle has not updated their accommodations for animal based services since 1982, and for their purposes, have classified dog daycare services as a kennel. Fun Runs offers owner-canine play sessions several times a month. Fun Runs are a great time to help socialize your dog, get some exercise and stay dry! This space is safe, clean and well maintained and provides some of the structure lacking at traditional dog parks.

Great Dog is more than a vibrant and successful small business in the Northgate area. It is also a positive member of the community and neighborhood. It is their mission to provide services and programs that benefit both clients and the community in which it is located. Great Dog is a multiple service provider by offering a retail shop, grooming salon, obedience and training courses and a dog day care. The dog daycare provides a safe, supervised and enriching environment for canines. Dogs do not stay overnight, nor are dogs outside beyond business hours.

Great Dog supports neighborhood community and development:
1. Environmentally friendly potty box designed to mitigate issues related to Thornton Creek. Final design has been recognized by the City of Seattle’s Water Quality Division as an exemplary way dog daycare facilities can be environmentally friendly.
2. Feral cat population has been reduced due to their combined efforts with Seattle’s Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project.
3. It serves as an off-site City of Seattle animal license application source.
4. Daytime contact for dogs found running in the area. They offer free scanning for microchips and contact owners to reunite them with their pets.
5. Fun Runs as mentioned above
6. Volunteer Experiences working with cats and socializing puppies to provide community members with an opportunity to safely interact with cats and dogs while helping the animals to become well socialized members of the community
7. Work with the Seattle Police Department and neighborhood advocates to eliminate the confirmed dug house directly across the street from Great Dog and
8. Donates hundreds of dollars of product gifts to local school and community non-profits for fundraising purposes.

Great Dog embraces diversity and special needs:
1. Offers rescue animals as a way to provide cognitive and skill building activities for individuals with developmental and emotional disabilities. Each week several individuals with disabilities train on site with their job coaches. Great Dog donates its space and services.
2. Delta Society Pet Therapy Certification Program offered at Great Dog
3. Contributes products and services to auctions for Make-A-Wish Foundation. Provides support and dog visits to terminally ill children using Great Dog trainer and dogs.
Great Dog provides education endeavors:
1. Operation Opie is a free program offered to local schools providing bite prevention education.
2. Summer Day Camp sessions to provide local children with a safe and innovative way to learn about dogs.
3. Pit Bull Awareness Project is a summer seminar for teens designed to teach them about the positive traits of Pit Bull with focus on helping teens to understand that dog fighting and keeping aggressive dogs is illegal, dangerous and unproductive.
4. Offers a wide variety of training and education classes designed to help humans and canines live happily together.
5. Teams up with Delta Therapy program to grow the acclaimed Reading with Rover Program.
6. Co-Owner Judi Anderson-Wright is fluent in sign language and has translated in obedience classes and frequently with customers seeking additional canine guidance.
7. Provides scholarships to deserving teenagers who are interested in training programs.

Great Dog’s animal welfare and stewardship:
1. Coordinates rescue efforts for retired Greyhounds and rejected animals, kitten fostering and adoption programs.
2. Fundraising and Adoption Fairs.
3. Assists owners when unfairly accused of “dangerous & vicious” dogs.
4. Offers free temperament assessments to area dogs.

Some things that make great dog unique:
1. This space is created for the benefit of the community dogs and to build neighborhood unity. Much of the success that Great Dog enjoys is a direct response to discussions with customers.
2. Great Dog has a large space for dogs to play, socialize, learn and be enriched.
3. They have invested in dense rubber mats (made from recycled tires) on the floor to mitigate injuries to joints as well as facilitate top notch cleaning.
4. They invested in several commercial air purifiers to combat airborne illness and improve air quality for canines, owners and staff.
5. They worked with the city to create an environmentally friendly potty box.
6. Employees monitor dog play activities.
7. Created an outdoor space that is environmentally sound.
8. Employees monitor daycare dog barking.


Great Dog provides healthy alternative for dogs and cats alike through quality products, continued education, excellent customer service and developing a strong tie with the community. I would be very upset to lose the Great Dog facility and the neighborhood would lose a vibrant, caring, profitable business that attracts a desirable demographic to the area. I very much hope that a solution can be found which benefits Great Dog, the canine day care industry in general and the City of Seattle.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions concerning a customer’s point of view of the Great Dog facility.

Sincerely,

Gayle Flakus

June 15, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

I was very surprised and saddened to learn that Great Dog may be forced to close because it is being mistaken for a kennel. In actuality, Great Dog is a daytime play-land and training center that is invaluable to my dog and the dogs of many Seattle residents. I am a graduate student in biomedical research and my husband is an officer in the U.S. Navy. We work very long hours and make many sacrifices for our careers, our service to the community and the nation. Having no children, our animals are our dearest companions, our “kids,” who bring us much joy and relaxation at the end of the day. But we couldn’t fully meet the mental, physical, and social needs of our Labrador Retriever Sydney, without Great Dog. We are so grateful for Great Dog and the service it provides. While we are hard at work we know he is in a safe environment where he can romp and play with other dogs, be challenged by professional dog trainers, and interact with lots of caring people. Words cannot describe the peaceful and thankful look on his tired face when he comes home.
Great Dog also provides much needed support and educational information to me when I am experiencing a problem with my pets, and provides the same service to countless people in the community. The store is always very busy and has a fantastic reputation! It is also important to me that Great Dog provides these services in an environmentally friendly way and with great concern for the health and safety of all animals and people. Great Dog is also the homebase of a number education and animal rescue programs that are extremely important to this community. In sum, this community cannot afford to lose this wonderful and valuable business.

Sincerely,

Laura Sycuro and Lt. Jesse Sycuro

June 12, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to the Seattle City Department of Planning and Development in regards to the confusion about the zoning classification of a dog daycare. Outdated city statutes, which have not been changed since 1982, have placed dog daycares into the same group as boarding kennels, when in fact their functions are very different.

My name is Briana Hundley, and I have been an employee of Great Dog Daycare for over two years. I have seen first-hand the benefits that facilities like ours provide to the community and their canine companions. Great Dog encourages people to be responsible pet owners as well as serving as a community resource for all dog-related needs and questions.

Dog daycares provide dogs with socialization experiences with other canines and humans. While many dogs are cooped-up for the long hours that their owners are at work, the dogs that come to daycare spend the time in a productive environment, monitored carefully at all times by our expert staff. When a dog owner comes to pick their dog up, they can be confident that their pet has gone through an entire day of exercise, socialization, and fun. Shy dogs and puppies especially benefit from this because they get interaction with unfamiliar humans and dogs, and learn how to become good canine citizens. This gives owners the confidence that when they take their dogs out in public they won’t be aggressive.

Many of the dogs that attend daycare have special needs, such as being seizure-prone, that require constant monitoring throughout the day. If a dog that was seizure-prone was left home alone and had an attack, no one would be there to help them and give them the medication and attention they need. When dogs with these needs come to Great Dog, owners can take confidence in the knowledge of our staff, and their ability to attend to any problem their dog may encounter, no matter the complexity. If Great Dog was closed, where would the owners of these dogs turn for the help they need?

Dogs that are isolated throughout the day become restless. When you cage a pet in for hours on end, they become bored, and may destroy property or look for routes on which to escape. When dogs are not in daycare, bad behavioral issues can arise from loneliness or sheer boredom. At Great Dog, we are a resource to these types of animals who might otherwise be destructive without the attention that they receive in our daycare. Many dogs will also bark, cry, or simply disturb the peace in an attempt to gain attention. This aggravates many neighbors who have to put up with the noise for hours on end.

Great Dog is not a boarding facility by any means. We do not hold or shelter dogs overnight, and have no resources to do so. We open each day at 7 AM and close promptly at 7 PM. Owners that neglect to pick up their dogs before close are fined heavily for every 15 minutes they are late. Losing the Great Dog facility would be devastating to thousands of our customers who rely on us for all of their dogs needs.
I hope that the city’s Planning and Development team can find a solution to the zoning issue that promotes the welfare of the many people that rely on Great Dog and everything it has to offer.

Sincerely,

Briana L. Hundley

Hilary Dominguez
XXXX 23rd Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98115 

Dear Ms. Sugimura,

I am writing to you about a very important service to the Northgate community that may soon be terminated based on what I believe are outdated zoning requirements. It’s my understanding that Great Dog Dog Care at 11333 Roosevelt Way NE may be closed down for violating zoning requirements. I am writing to ask you to please do what you can do to keep Great Dog Daycare open. Great Dog has been of enormous importance to me and my family, not to mention my dog. Saffron is a valuable, two year old male Doberman Pinscher. He’s a friendly, happy, and healthy dog who loves people and other dogs, and never gets in fights or threatens either. He comes home and is calm and clearly content. I attribute this positive behavior in no small extent to the care that he receives at Great Dog.

Since he was five months old Saffron has gone to Great Dog five days a week, which as you can imagine is quite an expense. Yet we feel it is worth it and it’s an investment in our dog’s health and our happiness. My husband and I both work full time – downtown for me and in South Park for my husband. If we had to leave Saffron alone all day I shudder to think what would happen to his state of mind, our home, and our neighbors’ peace of mind. I have no doubt that he would howl and be miserable and destructive like so many animals left alone all day are. He’d drive my neighbors crazy with barking, which he would do to establish a connection with the outside world. He’d go nuts – so much is his need to socialize and exercise.

Dogs are social animals, and by being in a simulated pack (like at daycare) they learn to deal with each other, to get along, to “read” each other.Without Great Dog, Saffron would not have had the opportunity to learn and practice this. He’d be more aggressive with other dogs (where as now he loves them!). He’s learned so much from the caretakers at Great Dog, too (you should see him “high five”!). They are always careful to provide stimulating activities for him – he LOVES going each day. And they are always so helpful whenever I have dog care questions. When he’s been sick they’ve called us and we’ve been able to get him in a timely manner to the veterinarian. (Like the time he ate a sock at home and had to have an emergency operation about 12 hours later. Thank god he was at day care and they noticed he was ill!)

Saffron is great with people, too. He interacts with the wonderful caretakers at Great Dog, and I believe that without that daily human interaction – with non-family members, that is – he would not be half the dependable and sweet Doberman that he is.

It’s my understanding that part of the issue is that zoning laws do not allow kennels to be in the neighborhood where Great Dog operates. I can understand that overnight kenneling may not be appropriate for a residential neighborhood, but doggy daycare is very much different from overnight care. Doggy daycareis appropriate in a neighborhood like where Great Dog operates. It’s a great business for the Northgate area neighborhood. I know that I certainly would never go to that neighborhood if it weren’t for Great Dog. But I do patronize the businesses along Northgate Way and Roosevelt because we drop off and pick up our dog there five days a week. If Great Dog closed I would no longer have reason to go to the any of the restaurants or shops along there.

It’s my understanding that the zoning rules were written to deal with kennels years ago, before doggy daycares came into being. Either new zoning rules should be written or a variance should be allowed for Great Dog. It’s simply too important a resource to be summarily shut because it doesn’t fit neatly into the zoning rules.  I do support appropriate permitting across the dogcare industry, such as from the Health Department, to ensure that the animals are being kept in a safe and healthy manner. (Great Dog has never given me any reason to be concerned, but it makes sense to me that some oversight be provided to all day cares as a matter of regulation.)

Seattle is a city of dog lovers and owners – more people have dogs than children in this city (but I have a nine year old daughter, and Saffron is like her brother!). We love Seattle in part because it has wonderful and necessary amenities like Great Dog. It wouldn’t be acceptable for me to drive out of Seattle if Great Dog were to close down and I had to find another, farther doggy daycare. Rather, we’d probably just relocate to the suburbs. Seattle needs to keep families and dogs here, in livable, dense, walkable communities. Doggy daycares like Great Dog allow this to happen because they provide the convenience we need with the service our dogs need. Please do what you can to ensure Great Dog is not forced to close down or relocate.

Sincerely,


Hilary Dominguez

To Whom it May Concern, The City of Seattle,

I write to express strong favor of revision of the city laws regarding the definition of kennel to allow day-care for dogs, that is to say no overnight, but a day time program. In specific I support the continuation of The Great Dog Shop as it is exemplary in its operations and management, it is of great benefit to the families and dogs it serves, as well as to the neighborhood of Pinehurst. As a frequent shopper/visitor there I have noticed a great deal of effort to make the day-care facility a top quality center for daytime dog care. They offer an opportunity and service that is unique and vital, provide an environment both within their building and in the area that is positive, safe, considerate, educational and environmentally thoughtful, a fine example to other businesses in our city that could take heed of these values.

Clearly the time is here and now to make the necessary changes to accommodate a need the community has for quality daytime support for their loved ones, yes, most dog owners would agree, their animal is not only a friend but a loved one, a part of their family. We can and must find conscientious and compassionate ways to take care of each other, our children, elders and our animal friends.

Hopefully, presumably, any misunderstandings of the legal definition and use of this facility as day care vs. kennel can and will be resolved before closure is mandated. Extensions can be given to revamp the laws and file the necessary paperwork.

I appeal to the City of Seattle to hear this plea,  to stand on the right side of this issue as the fair and gentle city it is reputed to be. You can easily find a way to respond to a clear need of  residents, who,   I believe, have found their voice.

In Hope and Appreciation,

Ariel Rathbun

206/XXX-XXXX

To: The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development

To whom it may concern,

I was recently made aware of the city zoning and property-use issues that Great Dog Daycare is being challenged with. I personally don't take my dog to this particular daycare facility, merely because of where I live, but I do take him to doggy daycare nonetheless (Tails of the City in Georgetown).

For many of us (pet owners), daycare facilities are the only means of "peace-of-mind" in regard to caring for our pets. Socialization and camaraderie with other dogs is the best and safest way to maintain a pet's health and happiness. Conversely, a healthy and happy pet is the best way to maintain a human's health and happiness!

I used to be able to take my dog to work but now that I can't, I can at least rest assured that he's still happy to be with other dogs and with other humans to take care of him. I can't even imagine him being alone all day at home…dogs are social animals, in need of attention from either their aplha pack or others of their species. "jack" (you gotta meet him!) is one of the sweetest dogs you'll ever meet, mainly because of the attention and care he gets at his daycare facility.

Surely some of the council members are pet owners. As such, you should be aware of how important it is for our pets to be safe and healthy. The daycare facilities in all of Seattle-area are an absolute necessity to all of us. Please revisit the classification regulations for these types of facilities…our pets deserve your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Bill Hutchison


…and here he is (picture to be added soon!)


Bill "Hutch" Hutchison
E-commerce Content Manager
_www.surlatable.com_

To: The City of Seattle, Dept. of Planning and Development, and City Council
Re: Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility, 11333 Roosevelt Way NE, 98115

Greetings,

I hear that the City is planning to shut down Great Dog Daycare, saying that it's a kennel, and it's in an area not zoned for kennels.  I am very distressed by this news.  Doggy daycares fill critical roles in the lives of families and dogs.  Doggy daycares are not kennels, any more than a grooming shop is a kennel.  The dogs are not there at night.  And the dogs are far happier (quieter) than they would be in a kennel.

Our family have been customers of Great Dog Daycare for more than two years now.  Our dog is Hershey, an Airedale terrier.  My husband and I both work long hours at a fast-paced company.  Great Dog has been extremely beneficial to us and our dog in the following ways:

1. We do not have time to do all our own home maintenance and yardwork.  We must hire others to take care of our yard, and the exterior of our house.  Because Hershey is at daycare two days a week, that means that we can have our lawn mowed and weeded on those days, or have our gutters cleaned, or whatever needs to be done.  If we had no doggy daycare nearby, we wouldn't be able to hire people to come work on our house and yard while we're at work, because the dog would be in our back yard all the time.

2. We try to give our dog plenty of exercise, socialization, and playtime with other dogs.  But we are not super-athletic people, and and we have very little time.  Taking Hershey to daycare means that he gets the exercise he needs to stay healthy, and the attention that he needs to stay well-adjusted and happy.

3. Sometimes Hershey has a health condition that requires medicine during the day, or requires that he be monitored periodically.  I am not able to take care of this myself when I must be at work - but a doggy daycare can.

*PLEASE* let us continue to have doggy daycares spread around inside the city limits, so that they will remain easily accessible to the people and dogs who need them.

Thank you,

Jami Kimble, Evan McLain, and Hershey
XXXX Latona Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115

To Whom it May Concern:

I have been bringing my dog, Sam, to the Great Dog Shop and Daycare Facility for almost a year.  I found Sam in my yard over four years ago, a stray in need of a home.  Since then he has brought me an enormous amount of joy.  In return, I feel I owe him the best home possible and the most love that a person can offer a dog.  While living in Michigan, I had Sam going to doggy daycare three times a week, and when I moved to Seattle I started shopping for the best doggy daycare I could find.  Great Dog was recommended to me as the best daycare in King County.  I was put on a waiting list (since Great Dog is so sought after my dog owners) and finally, I was able to get Sam in to Great Dog.  He absolutely loves it!  He goes twice a week and each morning that he knows is a doggy daycare morning, he is beside himself with excitement and anticipation, so much so that he often can't eat breakfast.

Great Dog is not a kennel and I'm surprised that after almost five years in business, that something like this is happening to Leslie and Judi.  Leslie and Judi are wonderful co-owners of Great Dog.  They go out of their way to make us owners happy and they go even further out of their way to ensure the safety and happiness of our dogs.  Sam got himself into a bind a few months back, accidently injuring himself, and Leslie was right on top of it, rushing him to the veterinarian and taking care of everything until I could show up at the vet.  This is true loyalty and dedication to their clients, our treasured pets.

I live just about six blocks from Great Dog and they are a loved establishment in the community.  If something were to happen to Great Dog, I and Sam would be devastated.  Sam has been traumatized enough in his life, losing the only home he knew as a stray, and then giving up his beloved Doggy Daycare in Michigan, and now this.  Please do the right thing and grant Great Dog the zoning requirements needed to keep them in business.  I ask you this as a concerned dog owner and resident of Pinehurst.

Thank you.

Kristine Tardiff
 

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Final Thoughts from Leslie and Judi
The wonderful hard copies we have received are equally amazing.  We don't have the ability to quickly scan these and up them up on the web.  They will be faxed to the Mayor on Friday.

Thank you to everyone who is responding!  It has brought tears and smiles to our faces.  While this whole process is not one that Great Dog wants to really get into, we feel that it is an important aspect that the City address.  Seattle is one of the strongest dog communities in the nation and while the dog daycare industry continues to grow, many cities and regions will be looking to urban planning pioneers in solving this issue & meeting the demands of the voting public. 

With heartfelt thanks and deep respect for your friendship and support,

Leslie and Judi
& the Great Dog Staff