A new kennel license for Let Love Live MN has been approved by Wadena City Council members in a commercial building at 204 Jefferson Street N.
The building may be better known as the former Medicine Shoppe in Wadena. It is now a temporary holding area for dogs transitioning to foster homes.
Let Love Live MN is a foster-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit companion animal rescue serving as a second location with Let Love Live TX, a Texas based non-profit. LLL MN serves communities throughout Minnesota and other states with severe pet overpopulation, according to its website.
LLL MN midwest director Becky Costner said dogs coming to this kennel site would typically only be there for 24 hours at a time as most are brought there and taken to foster homes fairly quickly.
During the Tuesday, April 13, city council meeting, councilman Bruce Uselman brought up his concern of having dogs at the site not far from residential neighbors. He brought up the fact that the city has had issues come up in the past, several years ago, with barking dogs outside of the Wadena County Humane Society, where Costner previously served as shelter manager.
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Costner noted that dogs are not at this location long. They are kept inside and when they are brought outside, it is for walks away from the area.
She said at this point, neighbors have been unaware that they have had dogs there because they are not making much noise. She added that they would typically have 10-15 dogs come in at one time in a trailer built with kennels. The fosters are all over Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. They bring dogs in with foster sites already planned for them.
Costner said this location was planned to be temporary and they are in search of a location outside the city limits. She added that they are not a shelter, rather a foster-based rescue. They do not take owner-surrender dogs.
Councilman Mark Lunde suggested that since this is foster based that perhaps there is no need for a kennel license. Costner responded that they do not have to have a kennel license as a foster-based program. However, she wants to play it safe by having the license should a dog be on site longer than 24 hours.
The council approved the license as temporary. It’s up for renewal in December.
