MARK WAITE / PVT Former Pahrump Town Board member Mary Wilson parades a poodle back from the witness stand after commenting in favor of a kennel. Advertisement

Marie Hedeman, owner of Ash's Mystical Poodles, was given a conditional use permit by the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission last week to open a kennel for show poodles at 2481 S. Underbrush Ave. at the corner of Alfalfa Street.

Hedeman wrote she has lived in Las Vegas since 1990 and never had a complaint from her neighbors or animal control. Her facility is inspected annually by the American Kennel Club, she said.

"This is my 36th year of breeding and showing only poodles under the registered kennel name Ash's Mystical Poodles. Currently I am the No. 1 breeder of champion miniature poodles in the U.S. as well as the breeder of the No. 1 miniature show dog in the U.S.," Hedeman wrote.

She added her poodles have been used in commercial shows, magic shows, films and television.

Hedeman wants to board her poodles in an indoor kennel with covered runs, with a grooming area and supervised play area.

The property is in a rural estates residential zone. Hedeman told the RPC she has 21 poodles right now.

"I'm not an open kennel, I don't have boarding and I don't have people coming for grooming. The dogs I do place are usually flown out of here, and in the 20 years I've been in Las Vegas, I've sold five dogs to people in Pahrump," she said.

Former Pahrump Town Board member Mary Wilson, escorting a poodle up to the comment table, said, "I chose a poodle because they are the second smartest breed, they do not shed and they do not have odor."

Wilson said she was referred to Hedeman and had to fill out an application.

"This is a very, very quiet business. This isn't a kennel with 5 million dogs," Wilson said. "She is now the top breeder of miniature poodles in the United States. She has many awards, she has many champions."

Neighbor Richard Whittenburg said he was nervous about being located next to Hedeman's kennel. But after meeting with her, Whittenburg said some of his concerns were put to rest.

He was joined by fellow neighbor Larry Novak.

"I don't want to see the whole place go commercial. If they make it commercial, they might as well tear mine down and do what they want," Novak said. But he added, "I think we could probably live with it if they do as they say."

RPC Chairman Mark Kimball advised the neighbors, if they had a problem with the kennel they could call Nye County Animal Control.

Margaret Bauer wrote she lived in a quiet neighborhood with custom homes. They shouldn't be subjected to the noise, smell or increased traffic, she said.

"We feel very strongly that this neighborhood should stay what it was intended for: a nice, quiet and peaceful, residential neighborhood. Let's not let it go to the dogs," Bauer wrote.

Bauer didn't appear at the meeting.

While Hedeman pledged to keep the dogs inside at night, RPC member Dan Schinhofen asked that restriction be put in writing. The RPC agreed the dogs wouldn't be allowed outside from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.