GoDog Case Continued to July
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The legal battle between a dog kennel business and a Chattanooga southside neighborhood continued on Tuesday.
Chattanooga City Judge Sherry Paty ruled on Tuesday to continue the GoDog case into July as GoDog’s defense attorney says improvements have been made to the structure.
These improvements will be evaluated by a McKamey Animal Center officer.
A rooftop camera view of the GoDog business on W. 20th Street, showing the close proximity of the business to multiple residences. (Courtesy: Kosin Ru)
GoDog owners say they have spent $17,000 to soundproof this building.
McKamey Animal Center Officer Seth Watson testified, “The soundproofing that has been added is on the openings in the cinder block wall around the outdoor and indoor enclosure. The sound that the people at the apartments across the street are complaining about is the sound traveling through the vinyl roof and there hasn’t been any additional soundproofing on that vinyl roof.”
One neighbor we spoke to but didn’t want to be on camera said that the noise in their words quote are currently, “a half-step less of annoyance.” but added that it is still a pain in the early morning and late evening hours.
Also discussed was a change in the city’s barking dog ordinance, which was amended in April by the City Council with new rules defining excessive dog barking as 10 barks in a five minute time period audible from over 100 feet away.
David Schmidt, a Chattanooga city staff attorney said, “When McKamey goes out to inspect, they’re going to be looking at a slightly different than what was in place in April.”
Judge Paty advised the McKamey officer to evaluate based on the older standard.
Several more neighbors were planning to testify today about their experience, but were not called up because of the impending inspection.
Judge Paty referenced our report on a hearing in April where neighbors in that hearing were not called to the stand either.
A resident who had attended that April hearing, Katie Ford, told us then, “We didn’t really feel like we were heard today, nor did we get to present our evidence.”
Judge Paty said that, “You have to understand that there are reasons when cases have to be continued or are continued or reset for a particular reason.”
So far through three court dates, only one southside resident has taken the stand to testify.
Other neighbors present are hoping they’ll have a shot- to testify at the July 10th hearing.
