We’ve all come to understand that a “dog day afternoon” is a sleep afternoon when dogs (and people) prefer to languish in the summer heat. However, there’s one street in Newport Beach, Calif., where every day is a dog day afternoon. That’s because Riverside Drive is a street devoted entirely to dog kennels — 12 of them, in fact. The street’s residential character can sometimes be confusing for people dropping off their pets for the first time. Even with the presence of signs, dogs are often taken to the wrong kennel when their owners assume there’s only one kennel on the street. Kennel operators are doing their part to be respectful of the neighborhood, agreeing to keep all dogs inside after 10 p.m. In fact, the Newport Beach Police Department has only recorded one noise complaint on the street in the past year. RK (residential kennel) zoning was established in 1986, when Orange County adopted the kennels ordinance and set it to be regulated by the police department. Dennis Claus, a real estate broker who specializes in selling kennels, said he doesn’t know of any other area in the country zoned specifically for dog kennels.
