How many dogs does it take to become a kennel? Seven, according to Cranberry’s Board of Supervisors, unless you have 20 acres or more. Drawing the line between a pet-loving home and a kennel operation was a question the Board initially considered at a public hearing in October. The need to clarify the definition arose in response to a situation in nearby Beaver County where a homeowner opened a nonprofit rescue shelter in a residential neighborhood. In September, the Board advertised proposed modifications to Cranberry’s zoning ordinance which would clarify the definition of kennels – whether or not they are operated as businesses – as well as where they could be permitted. On December 3, the Board determined that on properties smaller than 20 acres, seven or more dogs would be considered a kennel. Owners of properties 20 acres or larger are permitted up to nine dogs before being designated a kennel – a designation which could only be allowed in commercially zoned districts and even then, only with conditional use approval from the Board. A separate modification to the same zoning ordinance expanded the former definition of a methadone clinic to include those facilities which dispense other controlled medications also used in the treatment of drug addiction. For more details, contact Ron Henshaw, Director, Planning & Development