MELISSA’s PET SERVICES is asking for your support of our locally owned business. 

Please sign our petition in support of our request for a lifetime renewal of our “Conditional Use Permit”, with a variance. We seek a lifetime permit in order to continue to operate our cageless dog boarding and daycare business in McAllen, Texas without fear of losing our livelihood, the business we are pouring our heart, soul, and finances into, for no fault of our own. This also eliminates the waste of city time and resources going through the renewal
process every few years. 

We have been operating this business in McAllen for over 8 years, on a property my family and I also reside on. We have approximately 8 to 12 full-time and part-time employees at any given time, several who have been working with us for years and rely on the business as their livelihood, as do I. We have maintained a very good reputation among a broad range of clientele and work hard to meet the dog care needs in our community.  

The process of renewing our permit has been more involved than would be otherwise due to the business’ property size being less than the required 5 acres of land. However, if we purchased a 5 acre property for this business, we would have to secure a property loan of over a million dollars and would have astronomical monthly expenses. Then, in order to afford paying on such a large loan, and all the accompanying expenses, we would have to do at least 5 times the amount of business we do currently, which in turn  means 5 times the number of dogs in a cage free environment. The dramatic increase in the number of dogs would require building at least 4 more indoor facilities suitable for the care of the dogs when they are not outdoors. None of which is feasible nor sustainable given the nature of my particular business model and/or business plan. 

Thankfully, the option of a “variance” to the “Conditional Use Permit” is available when well intentioned regulations make it impossible for otherwise legitimate businesses to open. Therefore, we are again requesting a lifetime renewal of a “Conditional Use Permit”, with a variance. 

Thank you for your support. 

SINCERELY,
Melissa Burton [Owner]
and MPS’ STAFF