When Shell Abbott followed in her mother’s footsteps and began breeding German Shepherds, she believed she had crossed every T and dotted each I. She obtained a commercial kennel permit from Pinal County, was certified through the American Kennel Club and enlisted mentors.

Nearly a decade and dozens of litters later, she didn’t expect the family business — Abbott’s German Shepherds, which operates two properties in Hidden Valley and Thunderbird Farms — to be hit with impromptu demands for special use permits from the county.  

“It’s absolutely stressful because … we don’t know if we’re going to get our permits,” Abbott told InMaricopa. “We just live in this window of [wondering] how much time do we have? Do we move? Do we stay? Do we want to live in a county that would have taken away so much from us?”

Owner: Sudden stipulations ‘impeding’ business

Abbott’s German Shepherds currently operates with only a commercial kennel permit, which is allowed for residences that maintain five or more dogs but is also not typically allowed for a 3-acre property zoned as suburban ranch. The county code states these kennels must encompass at least 5 acres to operate in these zones.

That’s where the special use permit steps in. It, along with a list of stipulations, would allow the breeding business to continue operations.  

The stipulations include restricting the number of adult dogs on the property to seven at all times and reducing the number of hours the dogs are allowed outside their kennels during daylight hours. Abbott said called the stipulations “impeding.” 

Seven, she said, “is more or less an arbitrary number. There’s no real research behind it. It’s just because I told them I had seven dogs at my house, so that’s the number they picked.”

That means if Abbott needed to temporarily house her mother’s breeding dogs due to travel or sickness, that’s no longer an option. And the amount of time the German Shepherds are allowed outside to play and do dog things? 

“Now under the stipulations, my dogs have to be indoors 12 hours a day. I think it’s a long time because normally in winter, they’re in and out all day long,” she said. 

County non-consensus over permits

Abbott said during a Pinal County Board of Supervisors meeting last month that she was previously unaware of the requirement when obtaining the kennel permit. She stands by that statement.

“My building permits were allowed by the county already, so I can’t be knocked on what the county has allowed me to do,” she said in an interview yesterday. “I have my kennel license. I don’t decide if I’m commercial or noncommercial, that’s what the county decides. So, when Pinal County tells me that, I go off what they say.” 

It’s true. Director Audra Michael of Pinal County Animal Care and Control said her agency’s inspections showed Abbott was “doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” and county staff agreed there was a lack of communication between departments over exactly which permits were required.

The county zoning board also showed its support for Abbott’s business. After more than three hours and three votes, members of that board sent the case back to the county supervisors for final approval June 19.  

‘Don’t know that I can stay here,’ says Abbott

However, Abbott said she still feels apprehensive about the upcoming vote with supervisors.

“I have to get three out of five [votes] and the fact that my own district won’t is [frustrating],” she said, adding, “Honestly, it feels up in the air. I told [Supervisor Rich Vitiello, R-Maricopa] that if I don’t get this special use permit, I don’t know that I can stay here. I just don’t know. This would not feel like home.” 

That’s because Vitiello, the former Maricopa vice mayor who lives in Cobblestone Farms, took Abbott to task for what he called “smokescreens” in the applications.

He referenced 37 letters of opposition, a 2018 noncommercial kennel application, 15 animal control complaints and his own experiences driving past the kennel and witnessing “dogs [running] up and down, barking at all times,” he said during a May 30 meeting.  

Michael said PCACC could not corroborate the volume of complaints. Further, Abbott has received more than 60 support letters, while more than 200 people have signed an online petition to advocate for the special use permit.

Community still on board

Despite the stress, Abbott said she feels grateful for the community’s support.  

“There aren’t words that could say what it means to feel like you’re not alone in something,” she said. “To have people willing to say something and not be silent. I’ve never felt alone [in this] and never felt not supported by my community.’ 

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors will review the case for a second time during its July 2 meeting. Until then, the permit and the future of her business remains “up in the air,” Abbott said.

When asked what would happen if the permit is denied, she bluntly said: “I don’t know.” 

“I just can’t go there right now. I have to deal with that when it comes. I can’t imagine living without my dogs,” she said.