Mar 9, 2009

Dogs in Strata Units

G'day Dog Lovers,

I just got an email from a reader asking for some free legal advice on living with a dog in strata units...so I thought I'd put it up here and see if anyone could help.

Julie writes: "I wanted to ask a question on your dog blog about keeping dogs in strata units. The Body Corporate have refused to let me have a dog even though I have a garden and there are cats allowed in the block. Someone has suggested I go for a companion animal registration as I am so much happier when a dog is around and also I can take the dog to work now. I wanted to get some free legal advice if possible on how to go about this and thought one of your readers might help me."

Well, there you have it. Has anyone been in a similar situation to Julie? Can you offer any advice to help out a fellow dog-lover?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i don't know anything about law but check out this link. It might help. http://www.lawsociety.com.au/uploads/filelibrary/1093240954343_0.1210455815147537.pdf

Good luck

Anonymous said...

http://www.lawsociety.com.au/uploads/filelibrary/1093240954343_0.1210455815147537.pdf

Barking Mad Equity for Pet Owners said...

Free legal advice? That is like 'military intelligence’ or in the Australian vernacular ‘guys who peg out laundry.’

I don’t know what state/territory you are in, so I am unable to provide specific case law details.

However, I must point out that your correspondence, as printed, is part of the problem. You seem to want to allow someone else to determine if you are able to live a normal life! The majority of homes in Australia have a pet; that’s about 60% with a dog and/or a cat.

By law, dogs are chattel.

Please, stop playing to the anti-dog, or no pets allowed whingers. If your pet receives good care and does not create a nuisance or an environmental risk, then carry on. Let the whingers go after youth crime, graffiti, drunken/bad behaviour, dogs that bark all day while their owners are away and unregistered/uninsured drivers.

It’s easier to go the dog owner – we’re often the happy, complaint people – than to go the people that really create havoc in our communities. By ‘begging’ to keep a pet, you give more power to the whingers.

Barking Mad Equity for Pet Owners can help you and other responsible pet owners.

Julia Hunter said...

Thank you so much Sue and Eedra. I'm joining your Barking Mad today. The website I've been looking for. I've lived in the UK and France and can't believe how mean the laws are here. Dogs should be allowed anywhere and people should be allowed to take them to work if its safe for the dog. Looking forward to helping you with your campaigns. Julia

Anonymous said...

Julia, Barking Mad has not received your membership yet - have you sent it? We settled yet another strata conflict last week - for the dog owner of course.