A DOG trainer will be kicked out of Carrum Community Hall next month if Kingston Council does not agree to extend her lease.
In mid-2024, Kingston Council made the decision to boot Paw Behaviour Dog Training from its home of two decades with a 31 December deadline. Paw Behaviour owner Jennifer Wilcox secured a short-term three month lease extension to extend her tenure to 31 March, but faces an uncertain future beyond that.
Wilcox says her attempts to negotiate with Kingston Council have failed. “Why I’m being removed from the hall is the big question – that is not entirely clear. They will say they have decided they don’t want to use the hall for puppies, with no reason why,” she said. “I got the hall in the first place back in 2001 after a lot of lobbying putting forward the same arguments as now that the community needs a professionally run puppy school with indoor/outdoor facilities.
“Despite dozens of letters from professionals in the animal behaviour field they refuse to answer the question about why dog training is no longer compatible. I have in writing from the council’s general manager of community strengthening there has been no written complaint.” Wilcox says she is “beyond disgusted” at the process. “I’ve got nowhere to go,” she said. “These are puppies that are family pets, going on to be service dogs for people with diabetes, mental health issues, and school dogs.”
Kingston Council’s acting community strengthening general manager Kate Waters said “council continues to try and work with Ms Wilcox to find a satisfactory solution. “We have been flexible and accommodating in the circumstances by providing an extended notice period, and then offering her options, which included use of the outdoor space for the duration of 2025 or use of the indoor/outdoor space for three months,” Waters said. “These options were provided to give Ms Wilcox more time to find a new location for her business. An occupancy agreement is now in place. “While Ms Wilcox originally declined our offer of support to help her find an alternate space, we are glad she has now taken that up.”
Last year Waters told The News that it is “simply not appropriate to co-locate a dog training business inside a community hall that also hosts seniors exercise groups, card groups, first birthday parties, kids’ activities, and other community users.” (“Council kicks out dog trainer” The News 16/10/2024)
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 12 February 2025