MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Keeping your dogs safe is always Janice Milligan's top priority.
Owner of the Doggy Day Care and Spa, Milligan wants to raise the elevation of her fence from six feet to ten feet at her soon to be new location in Meridian Township after the Planning Commission approved the Special Use Permit earlier this month. To give some perspective on how tall ten feet is, that is the regulation height of a basketball hoop.

Her reasoning behind wanting the upgraded height is to make it nearly impossible for dogs to jump over the fence, something a bit more likely if the fence was any lower than 10 feet.

Milligan said, "Believe it or not I don't think visually you would see any more impact from the fence if it was ten feet or eight feet, but I do know safety wise it would make a tremendous difference for my clients."

Board members from the Zoning Board of Appeals deliberated if a ten foot fence was really necessary with the thinking that any dog with enough muster could jump any size fence. At the end of the meeting though, they voted in favor of the 10 foot fence in a close 3-2 vote.

The 6,000 square foot commercial kennel will be located at 1284 Grand River Avenue.