But…..It’s not always that easy with body corporate legislation.  Here’s an important piece of advice…… before you purchase do your checks to ensure that Suzie is going to be welcomed.  Not all communities are pet friendly.  Not only can it be very uncomfortable being surrounded by people who are not impressed about having a four legged pet as their new neighbour, it can also be a very stressful and emotional time if you end up in a fight to have Suzie allowed to stay.

I’ve seen my fair share of photos of dogs dressed as their favourite superhero with a letter outlining why, if Superman’s little side pup is allowed to reside in the building, everyone will feel much safer in their bed at night.  As cute as that photo may be, it doesn’t necessarily change the view of those diehard anti pets in community living campaigners.

Two-thirds of Australian households have pets, this means it’s not something we can close our eyes to and hope goes away.  In the USA I’ve sat next to a dog on a plane and in Greece I’ve stood in a lift with a lady with a rather large dog on a leash, all three of us waiting to get off on our floor to go to our hotel rooms ….. I assume the lady and the rather large dog were going to the same hotel room.

In Australia we have different legislation governing bodies corporates and owners corporations in each State and Territory.  But just to complicate things even more, each scheme or complex may have their own individual rules or by-laws, in addition to the legislation.

In some States the decision whether to allow pets or not is left for the majority of owners to make, in other States by-laws prohibiting pets altogether are simply not allowed, even though they may purport to be in place.  It’s a minefield but you’re best negotiating before it blows up.

The lesson for keeping a ‘little Suzie’ is before you purchase, be aware of the legislation in your State and the rules for the scheme.  If in doubt, have a chat to Wright + Lee, we can help you get any approvals required and avoid the heartache, fights and stress.

Little Suzie