Maggie’s Mates doggy daycare in Carlby can look after 40 dogs

A daycare centre can double the number of dogs it looks after each day.

Maggie’s Mates runs a taxi service for people’s pets, collecting them from homes from across the area and taking them to its doggy daycare centre at 56 High Street in Carlby.

The business had planning permission to care for 20 dogs on the site between 7.30am and 6pm, Mondays to Fridays, and between 9am and 2.30pm during weekends and bank holidays.

Last year Maggie’s Mates, which has distinctive vans bearing the business logo in which to transport people’s pets, was granted a licence to care for up to 40 dogs.

Owner of the business, Rachel Woolley, admits she made a mistake by thinking this allowed them make an immediate change. When she found out she also needed to apply to amend the conditions of her planning permission, she contacted South Kesteven District Council’s planning enforcement officer to discuss the breach, saying she was ‘terrified’ she had damaged the business.

But despite some objections from residents of Carlby, who are concerned about an increase in noise from dogs barking, members of the South Kesteven District Council planning committee approved a variation to the planning conditions in Rachel’s favour this afternoon (Thursday, May 30).

The committee members heard that Maggie’s Mates was established in an attempt to diversify a farm business and that “a field of cows would make much more noise, 24/7”.

They were also told about the doggy daycare centre’s behaviour policy, which did not allow for disruptive dogs, and how the business enables pet-owners to go out to work while their animals are looked after, therefore benefiting the economy.