Feud heats up dog days of summer

By David Holley And Erica Ryberg

The South County Spotlight, Aug 19, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (2 Reader comments)

An ongoing feud among neighbors in Scappoose about noisy dogs is continuing for a few more weeks, at least.

After a two-day hearing Aug. 12 and 13 about Samantha Miller’s appeal of her denied kennel license application, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners decided to continue the hearing until Sept. 9. The commissioners are allowing written rebuttal on the subject through Aug. 29.

Miller applied in February to operate a kennel with between 30 to 100 dogs, all over six months old, at her single family home at 57210 Old Mill Road near Scappoose-Vernonia Highway. Her application was denied on June 11 based on intermittent and on-going violations of state and local laws, according to a county staff report.

Geordie Duckler, Miller’s Portland-based attorney, filed the appeal with the belief that Miller did comply with local, state and federal laws. The appeal questioned whether the commissioners held the appropriate hearings, notified Miller about the hearings and whether the county proved that she was in noncompliance.

Neighbors of Miller, a group spear-headed by Scott Groves, said she houses dozens of dogs on her property, which evoke a stench and cause noise at all hours. They also said Miller sells the dogs she raises — a different story than Miller’s, who maintains she operates a not-for-profit animal rescue.

County Animal Control Officer Roger Kadell said Miller vacillates between saying that she owns all the dogs and runs a rescue.

The Willamette Week interviewed Miller, who once operated out of Aloha in Washington County, for a 2001 article. Since then, multiple people have commented about their interactions with her. To read the article, visit http://wweek.com/editorial/2804/2199/#comments_add.

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