Do Retirement Villages Allow Pets?

Pet owners know how important our furry friends are, but whether you can bring your pet with you when you move to a retirement village will depend on the characteristics of your pet and the pet policy and rules of the village.

The pet policy and rules of the village will generally have been formulated having regard to the physical characteristics of the village and the appropriateness of having pets in the village. If pets are permitted at all, the size, temperament and audibility of the particular pet will be relevant.

Realizing the importance of pets to prospective residents, some village operators may allow certain current pets to live in the village, but may not allow replacement pets should the current pet pass away or otherwise leave the village.

Retirement villages may therefore fall into one of the following categories regarding pets:

• no pets allowed under any circumstances
• some pets allowed depending on their size, temperament and audibility
• some current pets allowed (as above), but no replacement pets allowed
• pets allowed generally.

You will have the best chance of bringing your pet with you if the village is large and open, the homes are well spaced and your pet is small, quiet, friendly and clean.

Retirement villages that do allow pets will usually state this in their marketing documentation, with the proviso that the pet must first be approved by the village operator and that approval is at the village operator's discretion. So if bringing your pet with you to a retirement village is essential, then enquiring about the village pet policy and rules is one of the first enquiries you should make.

If you can't bring your pet with you and are not sure what to do with it, please consider contacting the following organizations:

National: Pet Rescue - includes a nationwide directory of pet rescue and adoption organizations.

Victoria: Victorian Dog Rescue and Resource Group - an animal welfare charity

More Information?

Please see the following pages of this Retirement Villages Guide for further information:

1. Introduction and Overview
   
   

2. Why Are Retirement Villages So Complicated, Confusing and Controversial?
   
   

3. Financial Considerations
   
   

4. How Are Retirement Village Departure Fees Calculated?
   
   

5. What Are Retirement Village Departure Fees For?
   
   

6. Free Departure Fee Calculator
   
   

7. Top 10 Tips
   
   

8. Rental Accommodation
   
   

9. Pets
   
   

10. Legislation
    
    

11. The Retirement Village Handbook
    

Please also see the following pages for further specific information regarding the particular application of the retirement villages laws in the respective Australian States and Territories:

1. New South Wales (NSW)
   
   

2. Queensland (QLD)
   
   

3. More Coming