DECATUR, Ga.,None — A Decatur restaurant lost a courtroom fight Wednesday to keep a neighboring pet store from re-opening.
Last month, a judge ordered the Pet Supermarket in north Decatur to close after the restaurant complained rats slipped through walls of the pet store and into the eatery.
"Obviously we're disappointed. We have to weigh it all out to see if we can co-exist with those guys as our neighbors, and think it all through," said Aaron Melton, owner of Melton's Ap and Tapp
Following a judge's earlier ruling, the pet store had to prove the rat problem was abated and renovations were made to walls and ceiling to close entry and exit points to the building.
The pet store shared a common wall with the restaurant.
In a court hearing, an attorney for the restaurant presented testimony from three inspectors who said when they examined the interior of the pet store last Friday, they saw signs of rodent infestation.
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Later, a rodent abatement expert testified for the pet store and offered evidence that all rats were gone and the holes were patched up.
The judge ruled Pet Supermarket had cleaned up the problem and was fit to reopen this week.
Melton said he is making renovations to his restaurant that will cost thousands, but has not yet decided whether to reopen.
He thanked all of his customers for their support during the 17 years the restaurant has been open and hopes they will keep coming back.
WSBTV
