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High-rise VIC apartment complex gets private dog park

When it comes to apartment living, pet owners often struggle finding a rental that allows pets such as cats or dogs. However, there is good news for renters who are dog owners in Melbourne as a high-rise apartment complex is about to get Australia’s first private dog park.

The developer behind this unique creation is Beulah International who has created an exclusive dog park in its Doncaster complex, set to complete in late 2016. The idea behind this is to encourage responsible dog ownership alongside apartment living.

This complex will comprise of a ground floor garden which is fully enclosed and will allow dogs to run around safely off leash in a user friendly environment.

According to Adelene Teh, Director of Beulah International, an off lead dog park would draw attention to the issue of pets and the urbanisation of Melbourne.

“Melbourne’s population is growing at an incredible speed and the amount of people living in apartments is higher than it has ever been before. Apartment living should never be seen as a compromised lifestyle and we understand that pets are an important part of many individual’s lives,” she said.

“A big reason behind why dogs are surrendered is because the owner finds themselves in a situation where they are moving to an apartment or home that is not pet friendly and pet ownership is often frowned upon in apartments.”

As a dog owner myself, one of the first criteria I always look for when renting is whether the apartment is pet friendly. Apartments can be quite small for a dog and dogs need to be exercised, so to have a designated area where dogs can run around safely is a great idea, especially as it is close by. You could come here at a time which suits you and know that you are in a safe environment away from dangers of road traffic.

Typically, finding rental properties that allow pets is pretty difficult and there is high competition for these types of properties. Even if the apartment is highlighted as being pet friendly, the owner normally prefers tenants without any pets, due to the damage that some pets can cause. However, not all pets cause damage, so perhaps there needs something adding to the contract to protect the owner and make the tenant feel they can rent the apartment without getting penalised.

According to Ms Teh, the concept of off leash areas in overseas apartment complexes is already popular. There are even some apartment complexes that offer “Yappy Hours” and rooftop dog parks. In spite of this, Australia has yet to implement these dog facilities in apartment complexes.

With more and more people living in apartments today and a greater focus on lifestyle, a dog park could be a good idea for other developers to also implement in their apartment complexes. Melbourne has also been acknowledged as the world’s most liveable city four years in a row by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability survey, so introducing apartment complexes with dog parks here lives up to this number one world ranking.

This particular dog park will comprise of secure fencing and seating as well as a drink station and a cleanup station for dog owners to clear up their own dog’s mess. There will also be strict guidelines in place for owners to take responsibility for their own dog, whilst also be mindful of other residents.

A dog park provides a good opportunity to meet other dogs and their owners, and I personally love this idea, as long as it is kept clean, although I’d expect it would get busy and noisy if there are a number of dog owners within the complex. There would have to be a separate outside area for other residents who don’t own pets to enjoy as well.

I also think that an apartment complex with a dog park or dog facilities would appeal more to dog owners rather than tenants without pets, particularly if there are no local parks close by. However, there might need to be some regulations on the type of dogs that can call this complex home.
Published on 17th of August 2015 by Marty Stanowich
Marty Stanowich
Marty Stanowich

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