A dog breeder facing animal cruelty charges from the state has withdrawn his request to open a kennel in West Hempfield Township.
Elvin L. High had asked officials for a special exception to operate Highgrade Kennels, 4406 Marietta Ave., Columbia, as a stud service.
But at a Tuesday night meeting of the township's Zoning Hearing Board, he pulled the plug on the project.
"We were a little surprised," said Charles E. Douts Jr. "He decided he didn't want to go through that process."
Douts said the law allows High to keep three dogs, the same as any other township resident. High has until March 31 to sell or give away 20 or so dogs, Douts added. The township will inspect his property to verify that he has done so.
Helen Ebersole said her group, United Against Puppy Mills, will also keep an eye on the kennel situation.
Meanwhile, she said, High's animal cruelty case is scheduled to be heard Wednesday in Lancaster County Court.
Last May, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement revoked High's kennel license and fined him more than $1,000 after his business failed two safety and sanitation inspections.
Bureau of Dog Law inspector Diane Buhl described multiple violations, including dog enclosures with built-up feces and urine and an infestation of rodents.
Humane officers who raided the kennel in June seized 11 of the 65 or so dogs High kept and charged him with eight counts of animal cruelty, including failing to seek medical help for dogs with severe ear and leg infections.
High did not respond to a message left at his home Friday.
He has previously denied charges of animal cruelty, saying that his kennel degraded after he hired another man to take care of it.
"My dogs never suffered here at all," High said.
Jon Rutter is a staff writer for the Sunday News. His e-mail address is jrutter@lnpnews.com.
