In relation to zoning ordinances and "kennel licensing", we are seeking to implore state legislatures and municipalities to consider the differences between traditional dog kennels as compared to dog care businesses that are created and operated with their main missions being healthy mental and physical stimulation, minimizing undesirable behaviors through management and antecedent arrangement (setting dogs up for success), and continuing education in the field of canine behavior. Such providers may also offer training and behavior modification. Enriched boarding services such as ours, Beyond the Walk | Daycare, Boarding, Training, are daycare and boarding operations that are designed for dogs on a individual basis rather than for maximum profit or convenience or kenneling dogs how it is typically done. Through our design and expertise, we are also able to serve clients with dogs that cannot be accepted anywhere else due to being intact or their behavioral requirements and do so without behavioral detriment to these dogs, any training progress their owners have made, or the other dogs staying with us (i.e. dogs with behavioral concerns towards people or other dogs). Our clients' dogs without behavioral concerns also do not develop undesirable behaviors over the course of staying with us nor experience concerning interactions with other dogs which makes our services unique and sought. We, and others like us, are individuals that are passionate about offering a quality service to our clients and spare no extra effort that will benefit our clients' dogs. 

Currently, in most states and municipalities, such businesses are considered to be "kennels" and are grouped in with traditional kennels that, for good reason, have highly restrictive zoning permissions due to the noise and safety concerns that traditional kennels pose with their potential to be highly stressful and since traditional kennels are not always owned and operated by individuals whose main professional interest in life is dogs or creating such boarding environments. Barren environments void of healthily stimulating elements for dogs, little to no mental enrichment activities and/or decompression measures, and arrangements for 20-30 dogs to be together in massive "play" groups do not set dogs up for success and contribute heavily to the barking and safety concerns for which the current "kennel" zoning ordinances are in place for. We agree and understand why it is necessary to bar traditional kennels from operating in many areas of a state or municipality, however enriched boarding environments do not pose the same level of disruption their area and surrounding neighborhood. State and local ordinance laws have not yet caught up to the ways in which the pet care industry has grown and changed over the past decade with enriched boarding and in-home boarding becoming an emerging sector. "Kennel licensing" is also troublingly difficult to acquire as many of the beneficial features that enriched boarders provide are directly constricted by licensing rules. This includes, but is not limited to not being allowed to provide dogs with plush, soft surfaces to lay on (couches/beds) and impenetrable surfaces for sanitation which favors concrete and turf outdoor areas over natural areas tailored to dogs' interests; yet lists no requirements for operators to be educated in canine behavior nor limits the quantity of dogs placed together either in kennels or in indoor or outdoor spaces together.

In today's time, dog owners are becoming more aware of their dogs' needs beyond general training and safety and going for walks. Today's dog owners are concerned for their dogs' mental wellbeing and emotional health. Owners are looking to provide their dogs with experiences and activities that are enriching and fulfilling for their unique dog, but not taxing or stressful and what the difference is between the two. Owners are learning that offering their dogs opportunities for choice and freewill and that filling their dogs' emotional cups leads to happier and healthier dogs.

The desire of owners to find dog daycare and boarding services that understand such a philosophy of caring for dogs has increased over the past decade and a new sector of the pet care industry has emerged - enriched boarding environments, and specifically, home-based dog daycare and boarding services in the providers' home. While enriched boarding environments need not be located on or in the providers' property of residence, all enriched boarding environments pose a much lower impact their surrounding area and/or neighborhood as it relates to noise, safety, and other potential concerns.

The dog care industry is extremely exclusive when operating within all current zoning ordinances and licensing requirements. To do so an individual would need to have tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to invest in a property for purchase or rent in a commercial or agricultural zone and "kennel" would need to be explicitly listed as a permitted use for the location for a person to start a boarding company without undue and excessive burden. Likewise, obtaining or constructing kennels or other measures per some inspectors' personal preferences to keep dogs safely separate when necessary is also expensive and require additional unnecessary square footage when there are other ways to equally safely and comfortably house dogs that is more attainable. As a note, it is also stated in some licensing documents that dog care may not be carried out in a location that is also a residence. With that in mind, new business operators would need to not only be able to afford the cost of their own residence, but also a boarding location or construct an additional, livable building on their property (the latter also being rarely permitted and taking up property space that could be better used as yard space for dogs if desired). Operating in a secondary location also restricts new operators from considering even starting their business through unnecessary payroll needs. Therefore, it is no wonder the dog care industry is saturated with "traditional kenneling" providers and very few enriched boarding providers (in a real home or a secondary location). 

With this petition we are communicating to state and municipal governments to consider enriched boarding operations differently than traditional kennels and create a distinction as it relates to zoning and licensing with our own set of requirements that are relevant given the nature of our operations.

If you are a pet owner that would like to see enriched boarding be offered more widely by making it possible for passionate individuals to enter the industry as well as see companies like ourselves remain open, please consider signing this petition to make your voice heard.

If you are a dog professional, trainer, groomer, or fellow daycare or boarding provider, and you'd like to see more enriched boarding options for dogs, please consider signing this petition to join us.

We appreciate your support in this movement to make change in the dog industry so that it may serve dogs' and clients' needs in ways that are not always accessible.

Through your support you will help us elevate the standard of care in the industry and support those actively or seeking to create daycare and boarding that is built for dogs.

Please direct any questions to beyondthewalkdogs@gmail.com . Thank you for your time.