Pets are a part of the family. Not surprisingly, we have a lot of prospective residents ask us whether they can take their pets with them when they move into a retirement village. The short answer is, it depends on the village and the type of animal.
The Retirement Villages Act in Queensland does not specifically make mention of animals and whether they are able to reside in villages, however the Public Information Document provided to prospective residents from retirement village operators, will include information about whether pets are allowed in the village and any restrictions on types of pets.
If the animal is a certified assistance animal within the meaning given to it in The Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009, operators are not able to prevent you from keeping your assistance animal with you whilst residing in the village. If you do have a certified assistance animal, it is unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 for you to be treated less favourably, in this case by a retirement village operator, because you rely on an assistance animal.
In the past, many retirement village operators had a strict no pet policy at their villages or a very limited pet policy. These days, operators are becoming more in tune to what their clients want and as a result many villages now allow pets to reside in the village. Any rules and restrictions in relation to keeping a pet in a village should be documented by the operator in a pet policy.
If you are planning a move into a village with a pet, you should ensure that you review the Public Information Document to find out whether pets are allowed in the village and if so, request a copy of the pet policy so that you are familiar with your ongoing rights and obligations should you choose to go ahead with the move.
Contact us on 07 3012 6315 or info@millersondufek.com.au to see how we can help with your move into a retirement village.
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