HOUNDS OF SMELL

Unit owners in the doghouse over pongy pets

THERE’S a big stink brewing over the issue of pets in highrise apartments. With the move to high-density living along the coastal strip, some buildings are home to as many as 50 cats and dogs. The trouble begins when it’s time for “walkies” but the pets are home alone.

THE increasing number of pets living in highrises is coming at a cost with tradies refusing to repair buildings because of dirty balconies.

“Tenants are toileting their pets on mats-fake grass on the balconies then hosing the urine and faeces off the balconies which in turn lands on the building and balconies on lower levels,” Jan Briggs, a unit owner at The Pinnacle in Surfers Paradise, wrote to the body corporate.

“It has been suggested (the) body corporate committee are going to be given more control over the pet issue in highrise buildings.

“Any suggestions on how (we) manage this environmentally disgusting issue?”

A body corporate spokesman at The Pinnacle said: “The painters were saying that some residents hose the waste down the drains and/or it overflows and stains the tiles and gets into the grout – (you get a) pong. The balconies have become backyards.

“If I was working with them I wouldn’t put up with it either.

Their photographs show faeces by dog bowls.”

The Bulletin has learned tradies have complained about several Gold Coast buildings, some of which have up to 50 dogs and cats.

Some residents liken highrise living on the Glitter Strip to being “in a zoo” with a published register of pets at one prominent building revealing mini Italian greyhounds, silky terriers, Burmese cats and miniature schnauzers.

Ms Briggs said some dog owners were working 12-hour shifts from seven in the morning, meaning their pets had to be kept inside.

“People say we love our pets – well live where there’s a yard where they can run,” she said.

Body corporate reform group spokesman George Friend said pets had to be allowed in buildings unless all residents voted to keep them out.

“We’ve got a cat (in our highrise apartment). It’s not presenting a risk. We have protocols in our building.”

Council said it had no jurisdiction under animal management laws because the areas within a highrise apartment were not defined as public places under the Local Government Act.

A spokesman for the Attorney-General said the State Government was considering the issue of pets in buildings as part of a wider ongoing review.

A resident should consult the body corporate by-laws and the committee could impose conditions on the keeping of the pet or go to the Body Corporate Commissioner’s office.

Of the 1478 requests to the Commissioner in 2016-17, 160 were dispute resolution applications about keeping animals.

TENANTS ARE TOILETING THEIR PETS ON MATS-FAKE GRASS ... THEN HOSING THE (WASTE) OFF THE BALCONIES WHICH IN TURN LANDS ON THE ... BALCONIES ON LOWER LEVELS UNIT OWNER JAN BRIGGS