Board investigates Meirs Road kennel complaints Breeder is operating in conformance with twp. ordinances BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer UPPER FREEHOLD - The township's Board of Health has determined that aMeirs Road woman who breeds dogs is not running an illegal kennel. After hearing about an investigation of the property and listening to the resident, the board decided at its Feb. 12 meeting that Grace Lossman is a hobby breeder who is not running a business from her home. Township Code Enforcement Official Ron Gafgen had sent Lossman a letter on Jan. 17 telling her to cease her operation immediately as animal control and health department representatives had recently visited her property to investigate complaints regarding the selling and raising of dogs. A Jan. 18 letter from Freehold Area Health Department official Julie Kramer stated that the health department had received complaints that Lossman's dogs did not have sanitary living quarters or access to water. The letter also stated that people had complained of Lossman owning 20 dogs and possibly operating an illegal kennel. According to Animal Control Officer Mary Klink, township ordinances permit residents to own up to five dogs on properties under two acres and up to eight dogs on larger tracts. Klink said that township ordinances also permit additional dogs under a certain age. Operations exceeding those limitations would require a kennel license, she said. According to Kramer's letter, Lossman had 16 dogs in her home at the time of inspection. Kramer's letter also stated that Lossman feeds stray cats. Lossman told the board that she has eight adult dogs, one male and seven females. She said the other dogs referenced in Kramer's letter are puppies. Chairman Dr. S. Perrine Dey asked Lossman about the chain of events that caused Gafgen to send her the letter. Lossman told the board that she received a visit on Jan. 4 from Klink, Kramer,Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) investigator Stu Goldman and animal welfare representative Anita Stout. Lossman said the visitors told her that people had filed complaints about her home. Lossman told the board that she had hip replacement surgery on Dec. 17 and had employed several people to clean and care for the dogs while she was in the hospital. She assumed the employees were the source of the complaints. She also said that prior to surgery, she had been unable to bend down and clean the floors. Lossman said she breeds one litter of standard poodles per year for the "perfect agility dog." She showed the board photographs and health records of her dogs. "My girls have careers," she said, noting that her 9½-year-old poodle Laura has only had one litter during her lifetime. "You can't interrupt training with litters," she said. Lossman said she does not operate a kennel and rarely deals with the public. She said she only works with people who are seriously interested in dog obedience and agility work. Board member and veterinarian Dr. Kathy Stryeski said she believes Lossman's operation is a hobby kennel and does not require a kennel license. Stryeski said she showed dogs for 28 years and understands "where [Lossman] is coming from." Stryeski said the definition of a kennel is a business. She said there is no way Lossman makes money selling the occasional litter. Board member James Rosenbauer commended Lossman for her hobby, calling it a worthwhile pursuit. In an interview, Stout said that all of Lossman's dogs looked like they were in good condition during the visit. She said that Lossman feeds the dogs the Bones and Raw Food (BARF) diet, whichmay not have seemed healthy for the dogs to the complainants, but is recommended by veterinarians.