Opponents to a kennel in the Mary Lake subdivision may get what they asked for if city council follows a staff recommendation to not allow the operation out of 5 Iris Place.

In presenting a report to council Monday night on the public input session held last week, city planning manager Mike Gau brought the recommendation forward.

And it appears Mayor Bev Buckway agrees.

"It's pretty sketchy to me at this time,” Buckway told reporters after Monday night's meting.

When people aren't already following the current bylaw – which allows for up to four dogs in country residential areas like Mary Lake – Buckway said she wonders what the compliance would be if the application is granted.

And the city just doesn't have the staff to monitor the situation at all times, she added.

Bylaws limiting the number of dogs are there for a reason, the mayor commented. But she also acknowledged the difficulty it creates for pet owners when there's a conflict with bylaw over the animals.

Clif and Sheila Robertson sought the kennel application to have up to 10 dogs on their property.

As Sheila told council Jan. 17, they breed Afghan hounds. They currently have seven on their property, though they expect to find homes for two soon, as they did for another two earlier this year.

The application for the kennel was aimed at bringing their own home into compliance with the bylaw and enabling them to offer some 24-hour dog care through their Neighbourhood Pup Dog Centre business, which operates out of downtown Whitehorse through the day.

Numerous neighbours – including one who has a special permit for his 22-dog kennel – opposed the application, arguing the kennel would create noise, odour, traffic and potentially water quality issues.

Some cited incidents where the Robertsons' own canines had gotten off the property, while others made note of an overall problem of loose dogs at Mary Lake.

Others said they didn't have a problem with the Robertsons keeping the dogs they have now, but didn't want to see a commercial kennel.

In their own presentation, the couple informed council they'd be willing to make changes to their fencing if required. They would also drop the boarding service they were proposing, using the kennel solely for breeding their Afghans, a condition that was suggested if council opt to approve the application.

Other suggested conditions include:

• building a two-metre fence around the area where the animals would be enclosed;

• having a maximum of 10 dogs over the age of six months;

• the kennel being subject to home-based business regulations;

• all vehicles associated with the kennel being parked on the property; and

• any breach of the zoning and animal control bylaws would see the permit revoked.

The Robertsons also told the city in the few times their dogs have gotten off the property, they have fixed whatever the problem was that enabled them to escape.

Ultimately though, staff recommended the kennel not be allowed.

If council adopts that stance, the bylaw department would begin working with the Robertsons to bring the property into conformity with the animal control bylaw.

Buckway noted that wouldn't mean the Robertsons would have to immediately get rid of their animals to bring the number down to four.

Rather, bylaw officials would work with the couple to come up with a plan to bring them into compliance.

Clif told the Star Tuesday he's unsure what he and Sheila will do with the recommendation before council, though he doesn't expect to make any further presentations to the city before the vote.

If council opts not to allow the kennel, he said, he'll likely get in touch with bylaw officials to figure out their next steps.

Coun. Dave Austin was absent from Monday's meeting. He is representing the city at this week's Mineral Exploration Roundup in Vancouver.