'Senior dog haven' project will not move forward at location in Carmel Valley.

After years of planning, Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for senior dogs and supporting senior pet guardians, will not be moving forward on its proposed “senior dog haven” project in Carmel Valley.

The organization had been preparing for a public hearing with the Monterey County Planning Commission on March 25, but withdrew its agreement to purchase the property at 8 El Caminito Road in Carmel Valley, a mixed-use building which was once Magic Circle Theatre.

“As an organization, our priority is always the well-being and quality of life of the dogs in our care,” said Carie Broecker, POMDR’s executive director, in a press release. “We could not move forward with a plan that did not align with our standards for humane, enriched, and home-based care.”

The decision to halt the project came after consultation with Monterey County Animal Control, where the organization learned that regulations would limit the property to no more than 12 cage-free dogs, or up to 20 dogs. Of that total, half would live in one area and the other half would be in a separate area, with crates needed to be provided for all the dogs.

POMDR advocated for a cage-free facility that resembled more of a home environment where senior dogs could live together comfortably. They found that the regulatory requirements would have necessitated significant changes to that model—changes the organization determined would not be in the best interest of the dogs.

"I understand what [Monterey County Animal Control] code is for, to prevent hoarding or poor boarding facilities," Broecker says. "But we do have 17 years of experience with senior dogs and they are all vetted before we bring them together. Most of our senior dogs sleep most of the time."

She explains that to move forward, POMDR either needs to find a facility with more space to house the number of dogs they want—no more than 20, Broecker says—or work with the County to change municipal code to give "rescue groups" like POMDR more flexibility in facility requirements.

The idea for a senior dog haven came about more than two decades ago, 10 years before POMDR was founded. They had spent the last few years looking into potential properties, hiring a land-use attorney to search for locations that had proper zoning, was accessible to POMDR’s network of volunteers and foster parents, and had a large yard. They had also spent significant time working with Carmel Valley residents, compiling traffic reports, acoustic reports and septic tank designs in preparation for the hearing at the Planning Commission next week.

"We learned a lot in the last year," Broecker says.

The organization acknowledged that county regulations are intended to protect animals from neglectful or unsafe conditions, and the county is unable to make an exception for POMDR. The nonprofit is now reassessing its options and exploring alternatives.

“In the short term, we probably need to look at a different model," she says. "In the long term, maybe we can look at changing the municipal code, but that’s a huge undertaking. We’re optimistic we’ll do something in the future, we’re looking for ways to increase our capacity."