A NEW cattery and kennels at Dunkeld could take its first bookings as early as October following a long battle to open at all.
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Developer Brendan McHugh had to take his fight for the kennels all the way to the Land and Environment Court after Bathurst councillors twice rejected the advice of senior staff to approve the development.
Neighbouring residents in Dunkeld strongly opposed the development citing concerns over noise and traffic, in particular.
The failed case cost Bathurst Regional Council well over $100,000 in court costs, and even more for repeated acoustic and traffic consultants’ reports and the time staff put in to defending a case they had recommended against in the first place.
But now the Dunkeld Pet Hotel is really taking shape on Marys Lane and Mr McHugh plans for it to be the best of its kind in NSW.
Just last week he took delivery of 20 custom-designed cat cages that feature both sleeping quarters and exercise areas and 24 state-of-the-art kennels are also nearing completion.
“My goal has always been to make this facility certainly the best in the Central West, if not NSW,” he said.
It's made me even more determined to succeed.
- Brendan McHugh on the long legal battle to open his Dunkeld kennels
“Where some kennels supply heat pads for the dogs when it’s cold, here we have under floor heating to ensure the dogs are comfortable.
“And we will only be allowing dogs in here through an interview process so that vicious dogs will not be welcome. That is a great comfort to the owners of small dogs, in particular.”
Mr McHugh, who first lodged plans for the kennels in February 2014, said he had never thought about giving up throughout the protracted legal battle.
“If anything, it’s made me more determined to succeed,” he said. “Although a majority of the councillors were against this development, the council staff were always very supportive and very helpful to me.”
Mr McHugh said construction would continue for about four more weeks – including fencing and outdoor areas for the dogs – and he had to have the septic tank approved and signage installed before he starts taking bookings.
He hopes to open the pet hotel in October and said Christmas would be a critical time for the business.
“There has already been a lot of interest from the general public – we’ve had a fantastic reaction,” he said.