St. Cloud City Council To Review Commercial Dog Training Facility

ST. CLOUD -- The St. Cloud City Council will review tonight a Zoning Board of Appeals decision granting a permit for a commercial dog training facility.

The ZBA granted Daniel Hughes and his wife a conditional use permit to run the facility which will train dogs to be used by law enforcement and other security organizations. The dogs will be trained to detect explosives, drugs and bed bugs.

It has drawn controversy from neighbors who feel the live gun fire required to train the dogs is a safety hazard. Noise is also an issue with what neighbors feel will be noise from gunfire and barking dogs.

The city council can affirm the ZBA's decision to grant the conditional use permit, schedule a public hearing, or overturn the decision with a two-thirds vote of the entire City Council.