By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

ADAM DAVIS/Acorn Newspapers AT ODDS-Successful Simi Valley dog and cat breeder Gwyneth Sankey says the city has been nipping at her heels in a dispute.

Gwyneth Sankey says she feels persecuted. The grandmother of seven is currently on probation for criminal charges brought against her for operating an animal breeding business inside her Simi Valley home.

According to city codes, the average residential property is allowed to have a total of four dogs, cats or Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs. Offspring from the animals must be removed no later than four months after their birth.

Sankey has bred cats and small dogs openly for over 20 years, but said problems didn’t begin until two years ago when a neighbor’s tree fell in her yard. According to Sankey, the neighbor asked her to share the repair costs. When Sankey refused, the neighbor reported her to the city’s code enforcement agency.

Sankey said until the tree incident occurred she had been unaware of the city codes prohibiting residential animal breeding. She said she’d had a license to operate her breeding business for the past eight years.

Soon after the neighbor’s complaint, Sankey received a letter from the city requesting her to stop breeding her animals and to get rid of all breeding paraphernalia, such as cages. In response, she made modifications, tore down certain structures and sold or placed 17 animals.

Things took a turn for the worse when a favorite dog that had been with her for seven years died while in the care of another family member. About that same time, Sankey said she received another threatening letter from the city.

Distraught, Sankey left over a dozen messages on the city’s answering machine during one weekend alone..

"I wanted them to understand what was going on," she said. "I told them they should be ashamed of themselves for treating me like this."

Code enforcement officials responded by filing criminal charges against Sankey.

She pleaded no contest last year and was sentenced to six months probation. Before probation was due to end, however, Sankey said she became the target of an undercover sting. According to Sankey, she received a call from a couple interested in buying a puppy, but she found out they worked for the city when they came over to see the dog.

"They were going to get me," Sankey said. Her probation was extended three years and she was fined $1,000.

"Were we overzealous?" asked Joe Hreha, deputy director of community services. "We respond equally to all complaints. We were not overzealous but were determined that the current law was being violated and made numerous attempts to gain voluntary compliance. And when voluntary compliance was not gained, we went to court."

Sankey is not a notorious backyard breeder, said Simi Valley Veterinarian Ron Resnick, who has cared for Sankey’s animals since he opened his practice four years ago. "She keeps her animal in the best of health. . . . She has good quality pets," he said

Sankey said she breeds English Short Hair cats and small powder-puff Bichon Frise pups mainly out of love for the animals and the delight it brings to her grandchildren. As proof, she points to the approximately 500 show ribbons on her wall that her animals have won—among them nearly three dozen championship ribbons. She’ll sell a dog or cat when a loving family shows interest, but breeding animals is more a hobby than a business, she said.

Sankey said there are many other dog and cat breeders in Simi Valley, but they’re afraid to come forward, afraid that what happened to her will happen to them.

She estimates that in the last two years she’s spent nearly $8,000 on permit fees and modifications to her home and yard, besides the cost of hiring an attorney to represent her in court. And she’s lost a dog and three cats along the way.

Sankey said she’s never been secretive about breeding animals. Pointing to pictures on her garage wall of a 1996 film crew from the Arts and Entertainment channel that was filming a documentary called "World of Cats," Sankey said she’s bred five different types of cats over the years with no complaints from neighbors. Her cats have performed in commercials and movies, such as the "Stuart Little" series.

Sankey recently called City Councilwoman Barbra Williamson for help.

"They were following the rules," Williamson said. "The rules need to be changed. It’s obvious."

Williamson brought the issue before the city council and asked fellow members to consider changing the regulations for the number of animals that residents can keep and to permit home-based animal breeding businesses within city limits. Last month, the council postponed a decision and asked city staff to look into the matter further.

Williamson said the case against Sankey was premature. "I feel like the Gestapo," Williamson said.

Williamson wants to make sure animal breeding operations like Sankey’s are made legal. She urged residents who operate home-based animal breeding businesses to come forward and speak to the city council.

"I just can’t imagine what this woman has been put through," Williamson said. "It’s just not fair."