Company wants law changed so its mini doghouses can stay
A Brooklyn company in the doghouse with the city over their heated sidewalk dog shelters wants to change the law so they can get back in business.
Dog Parker had 40 high-tech doghouses outside stores around the borough, where shoppers paid 20 cents a minute to safely stash their pups while they ducked inside.
But the city Department of Transportation forced them to remove its doghouses Thursday night, claiming they were sidewalk obstructions.
“We never received a violation, never gotten a 311 complaint,” said CEO Chelsea Brownridge.
City Hall doesn’t “care about innovation,” she said, adding that the company seeks “more clarity” about codes governing sidewalks. She vowed to work with the City Council on new legislation.
The 4 1/2-foot-high, 2 1/2-foot-wide, 3-foot-deep doghouses were carefully located in front of stores to minimize problems, she said.
“This is our home . . . so we will be fighting here to stay,” Brownridge said.