WOBURN - Council members threatened to yank a special permit for a Gill Street doggie day care facility if the business' owners continue to violate limits on the number of pets allowed at the property.

In a unanimous vote earlier this week, the council's Special Permits Review Committee agreed to send a certified letter to Gill Street's Tall Tails that demands the owners comply with a 25-dog restriction on the business' special permit.

The order will further give owner Jordan Holt 14 days to come into compliance with the condition and warns that a $300 per day fine will be levied against the business for each day it's found in violation.

"He needs to come into compliance," said Alderwoman-at-large Joanna Gonsalves, upon learning that the day care routinely has over 40 dogs on the premises.

"I'm sure people have paid for services and he's overcommitted. He needs to cut back in some way. Why don't we give him two weeks to do that," Gonsalves recommended.

Last August, the council amended Tall Tails' special permit to allow the business to house up to 25 dogs at the facility. The day care had previously been restricted to 20 animals.

At the time, Holt had sought permission for allowing 50 dogs at the site, but the council rejected that request over concerns that it would set a bad precedent for kennels that are located closer to residential neighborhoods.

According to Building Inspector Thomas Quinn, since the council amended the special permit, Tall Tails has been warned at least three times by city officials to adhere to the 25-dog limit.

On Nov. 5, Quinn levied a $300 fine against the business after he said he found 53 dogs at the facility. The fine was paid the very next day, but just weeks later, city officials were again told that Tall Tails was violating the terms of its special permit.

Quinn also visited the site prior to the council's meeting this week and said he found 54 dogs at the property. According to the building inspector, while he was walking away from Tall Tails, a worker tossed a rock over a fence in his direction and began yelling at him.

"I took some abuse," Quinn recalled. "As I was walking away, I heard something come over the fence. It was just easier to walk away."

Ward 2 Alderman Richard Gately was particularly irked about the most recent incident, and advised Quinn to bring a police escort to the property when conducting spot inspections over the next two weeks.

"That's not the way we do business down here," said Gately. "I'm not going to put you in harms way by having you go over there and have people throw rocks over the fence at you."