A DOG day care business in Flintshire has been left stranded after being cut off by floodwater.
Hawarden Happy Hounds, on Rake Lane on the outskirts of the village, has been closed for the last three days due to flooding at its premises during Monday's heavy rainfall.
Flooding remains on the road outside the facility, and people have had to wade through the water to collect their dogs.
Abi Devenport, who works there, said: "Our indoor kennels flooded, we moved our customers' dogs out at around 9pm on Tuesday into the daycare where it stayed dry.
"It happens all the time that the road outside gets flooded. This time last year we had it as well. I have emailed near enough every month to Flintshire Council, Natural Resources Wales and Hawarden Estate and for the whole time I have had one response.
"Natural Resources Wales who manage the B5129 ditches have dug them out once this year and that’s because they have to cut back the verge as you couldn’t see traffic. Flintshire Council owns the pipes that run under the roads connecting the ditches - which we requested they came and unblocked and they never did."
She added: "My own 61-year-old mother-in-law used our own pipe rods to unblocked Flintshire Council-managed drains as they didn't come and help. We have also requested they dredge their ditch across the road from us as it's severely blocked - which they have ignored."
Abi, her partner, four-year-old son, six-month-old baby and her mother-in-law also live on the site.
"My four-year-old has missed school numerous times because of this on going issue," Abi said.
"I have tried my absolute hardest to get help and received none, they all blame each other."
Keith Ivens, operations manager for Flood and Water Management at NRW, said: "North East Wales has experienced frequent and prolonged periods of rainfall throughout September.
"This past weekend and into Monday (September 30), the extended period of rain led to localised flooding in some areas as smaller watercourses and highway drains reached their capacity.
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"In recent weeks, NRW has carried out routine maintenance in this area in preparation for the coming winter. Our operatives have been and will continue to actively check key assets to ensure they were working as efficiently as possible."
He added: "Unfortunately, the shallow gradient of watercourses in this region, combined with tide locking from the River Dee, means that following prolonged rainfall, water discharge into the Dee can be delayed."
Flintshire Council and the Hawarden Estate have been approached for comment on the matter.
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