A Limerick dog trainer can keep a dog-walking shed on his property in Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, despite claims from neighbours that an animal training centre is "inappropriate" in a residential area.

Jerry Griffin was granted permission by the local authority to retain a dog-walking shed, alter the layout of dog runs and put new roofs on kennels on his property in Abbeyfeale East. Neighbours Patrick and Kathleen O'Connor appealed this decision to An Bord Pleanála, stating that a dog training/breeding business is not suited to a residential area.

In their letter to the planning board they claim that, in the last two years, there has been an increase from five to an estimated 60 dogs on the premises. They said they were disturbed by barking on a regular basis. But Griffin said that he has raised dogs since the early 1980s on the site at which time it was in a rural area. He said he kept between 25 and 30 dogs at any one time over this period.

In upholding Limerick County Council's decision to grant permission, the planning board's inspector noted that "while it is perhaps not ideal to have a dog training centre close to houses, the use of the site for raising and training dogs and the number of dogs on the site is well established by submissions from the applicant". The dog-walking shed, she added, is an improvement to the facilities, allowing dogs to be walked on-site rather than the public highway.

If the noise of the dogs barking or their smell became a nuisance, then this could be dealt with under more appropriate environmental health legislation rather than planning legislation, she added.