Neighbors Upset with Excessive Barking at Dog Kennel Business

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A group of residents in a Chattanooga Southside neighborhood are raising concerns about a dog kennel business.

GoDog opened a few months ago on 20th Street as a one stop shop for dog boarding, daycare, and even providing a social setting with a dog park and bar.

However, for neighbors living nearby, issues have arisen that they say is disrupting their daily lives.

One neighbor, Kosin Ru, said, “We’ve been having a problem with noise lately, since December.”

Ru lives across the street with his girlfriend and dog from the GoDog business.

He says that he has collected several videos that prove that the noise problem is coming from excessive barking.

One video depicts a lot of barking coming from the business, with yelling being heard.

Ru believes that the yelling in that video is from staff.

Godogpic 004

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)

He says this is just a sample of the constant barking coming from GoDog.

Ru along with several neighbors say that the excessive noise starts up as early as 6:30 in the morning.

A second clip shows loud barking occurring before the sun has risen.

Neighbors say that the neighborhood along 19th Street used to be peaceful and pleasant, with neighbors hanging out on each other’s rooftop porches.

Don Benedict, who also lives across from GoDog, said, “Now you can’t enjoy it at all. I mean it’s incredibly annoying to try to sit up there 100 feet away from dogs that are stressed out.”

They say they were not informed ahead of the business’s opening that they would be subjected to this noise.

Kosin said, “I’m surprised they didn’t design their facility in such a way that would protect us, the residents, from all of this noise.”

The residents filed a complaint with the city of Chattanooga over the issue.

The city has since cited the business for providing outdoor animal care when their current zoning code does not allow for it.

GoDog sent us this statement:

We are located in the heart of the Southside, a downtown area in Chattanooga, and thus, like many urban areas in downtown city centers, we have neighbors close by. While we are completely confident in our myriad of approvals and multiple permissible uses granted by the City of Chattanooga gained via the zoning department as well as public forum vote, we intend on having a productive conversation with our neighbors and community in the appropriate forum in April.

In the meantime, for the sake of our employees and the well-being of our beloved animals, we directly ask that any antagonistic, disruptive, combative, and/or intrusive behavior please cease. Whether it be from a disgruntled former employee or neighbor, we request and expect the same level of respect and decency that we, as a brand, practice daily. We do plan to investigate further any antagonistic, aggressive, and/or disparaging behavior towards our business and/or staff, however we look forward to a peaceful resolution and moving forward in this community together.

Additionally, we hope that any media outlet which may be considering reporting complaints about GoDog will independently investigate the complaints and respect the rights of all concerned.

Thank you,

The GoDog Chattanooga Team.

The neighbors in the Southside are looking forward to addressing the company as well.

Benedict said, “Why would you be so rude to know that you’re disrupting a neighborhood that’s been there for a long, long time, and you just say, “I don’t care.”?”

GoDog will be in court at the Hamilton County Courthouse on April 20 to deal with the citation.

Those we talked to on the Southside said they plan to be there to settle this issue.

Categories: Chattanooga, Featured, Hamilton County, Local News