I love animals and could not imagine my life without the dogs that Leisa and I own. And as a developer it has always been important to me to ensure my developments are pet friendly (within reason).

It’s a well-known fact that animals can reduce stress for the humans they share their life with and, if your pet is a dog then you can also reap the physical rewards that comes with walking them daily.

Pets also provide companionship for people who live on their own and also encourage them to socialise and meet new people when out walking.

Apartment complexes that allow people to have pets have residents who are more inclined to chat to each other and care for each other’s pets during short absences. And neighbours that look out for each other often get on better which makes for better apartment living.

You might think that as a developer I would be against having pets in my complexes, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I find that people value the importance of being allowed to have a pet so much that they take every precaution to ensure they keep the privilege. And when it comes to wear and tear on a unit, I have also found that pet owners often do less damage than people with children.

And as people downsize and seek apartment living, finding somewhere to live that allows pets is increasingly important yet many complexes still refuse to allow some owners to keep pets which has been deemed to be an “unreasonable” by-law.

In strata-title unit or apartment living, banning of all pets, as well as banning dogs of a certain size or weight, by body corporates has been ruled invalid, by the Queensland Commissioner (Body Corporate and Community Management).

Generally speaking, the complexes I build allow for a small pet to be kept in a unit. So what type of pets are best suited to apartment living?

Cats make great pets as they don’t need you to walk them and are not as “needy” as dogs. But for me, you can’t go past a dog. They are happy to see you at the end of the day, and you can take them out with you to the growing numbers of bars and cafes we have on the Sunshine Coast that are dog friendly. Breeds like Pug, Shih Tzu, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Yorkshire Terriers are all suited to apartment living.

We are blessed to live on the Sunshine Coast and I love the fact that we can share our lives and experiences with our 4 legged friends.

Image Credit: rspcansw.org.au