If you might be so generous to sign this petition to encourage the town of Newton to reconsider Beyond as a home occupation caring for dogs versus a traditional-like “dog kennel”, as well as convey how needed Beyond’s services are in this community and to our over 250 clients’ dogs, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you for your time.

(The above image is a video of our services to provide insight into our mission, methods, and passion. Please click to view.)

NOTE: I was unaware that there is a donation link in this petition. I am not sure how to remove the donation field. While I appreciate your thoughtfulness, we are not requesting donations for this matter at this time. Any donations already received will be returned to the donor or forwarded to one of our 501(c)3 rescue partners.

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It is my company’s three-year anniversary this week. Three years ago I started Beyond the Walk as a doggie daycare and boarding company to offer trustworthy services in a home-like environment; especially for dogs that would not be accepted or would struggle elsewhere. While we welcome all dogs, we are highly skilled and knowledgeable to care for dogs that have a long list of personal needs, dogs that are terrified of the world, and dogs that would be better off not socialized with other dogs. All of our guests benefit from our true understanding of dog behavior on a scientifically accurate level. I started this business from the heart with nothing other than my house, quit my job, worked two more part-time jobs, not knowing what it would entail or become, but started it, all in, for good.

Beyond is daycare, boarding, and training reimagined and innovated; not because I had to, but because I sought to create the most progressive dog care in the industry and was driven to create dog care that was honest. We incorporate enrichment, rest, healthy play, exercise, decompression, and compassionate training into every dog guest’s life during their experience with Beyond. As the name entails, I and my amazing, dedicated independent contractors, go BEYOND dog care and BEYOND the description of a “kennel”. We are not a dog kennel. Beyond is so much more than that.

Please view Beyond's promotional videos to learn more about our services and the passion behind Beyond.

Boarding: https://youtu.be/bzRMItynh0U 

Training: https://youtu.be/eGt0jteNn64

Website: https://beyondthewalkdogs.com/

Two weeks before the pandemic hit I chose to reach out to my town knowing that my request could come with a financial investment and, with the upcoming season looking promising pre-covid, that I could meet that demand. I sought a simple home occupation approval and was denied. I was forced to not only pursue a D3 variance (a difficult variance itself), but then was abruptly told a D1 variance (the most difficult type of variance) would be “required” without further understanding of the exact nature of services provided here. During this process, the town refused to reduce the requested escrow amount or increase the time granted; in mid-March, in the middle of a national emergency and pandemic. With the change from a D3 variance to a D1 variance, the financial burden was raised by yet another thousand on top of several thousand dollars already. Even if the town denies this variance, they will keep as much of those funds as they state they “used” despite leaving me in a difficult position to make a living, while a pandemic continues to ravage this country.

Unfortunately, for me, my staff, my clients, and our dog guests, the town of Newton is persistent to consider Beyond a “kennel” without much consideration that I offer expert opinion on the matter, that Beyond is so much more than a “kennel”, and that Beyond’s impact on its neighborhood is not much more than a children’s daycare which is a "conditional use" in our zone.

No, this business isn’t “illegal”; home-boarding just hasn’t had its own sector created yet. Therefore, all on-premise dog care providers are illogically grouped as “kennels”; considered the same as facilities with a hundred indoor/outdoor runs, dozens of dogs outdoors constantly barking all day long, high arousal playgroups with an upwards of 30+ dogs with not much more than a bucket of toys and barren landscape for entertainment.

Beyond provides high enrichment, deep decompression, and cooperative training. Beyond is dog care built for dogs that reaches the core of what each of our unique guests need. The expertise I have gained in dog behavior, meeting dogs’ needs on a mental, physical, and emotional level, and behavior modification enables my staff and me to operate a safe, relatively quiet, non-intrusive dog service harmoniously in a residential-type area. Through Beyond’s success, I have had the means and flexibility to volunteer thousands of dollars through reduced cost rescue boarding and training services and thousands of hours to dog-related volunteer services including foster, adoption, locating lost pets, reuniting found pets, training and volunteering with two of my personal dogs in pet therapy, and training one of my personal dogs in volunteer search and rescue.

At the end of the day, the goals of all involved should be:

-          minimal neighborhood impact (Beyond has not had one noise, odor, or safety complaint in our 3 years of operation),

-          furthering excellent professional services in the town to serve the people of the town and surrounding area,

-          boosting the standard for canine care and training and promoting exceptional quality,

-          supporting small businesses without undue financial burdens, restrictions, or uncertainties; especially those that

o   employ other local residents,

o   are owned by town residents, and

o   include reduced cost and free services in their business model and volunteer their professional skills within their field.

Those goals start here. With me and all of my amazing supporters. With this stand.

1,088 days of superior service and I stand for more days to be of service. Over 10,000 hours of dedication and I stand for more hours dedicated to dogs.

Beyond has served dogs and the community with a safe place to stay, reliable care, honest business practices, reasonable rates, volunteerism, and self-driven continued education. I stand to be of those services for hundreds of thousands of hours more.

If you might be so generous to sign this petition to encourage the town of Newton to reconsider Beyond as a home occupation caring for dogs versus a traditional “dog kennel”, as well as convey how needed Beyond’s services are in this community and to our over 250 clients’ dogs, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you for your time.