28 October 2011

Tremble oh petty bastards of the Body Corporate

| johnboy
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The Canberra Times has the lovely news that the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal has waded into a body corporate dispute and told the sticky beaking curtain twitchers to stick to their knitting.

A Canberra woman has won the right to keep her pet Staffordshire bull terriers in her apartment complex after taking her case to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Karina Lanfranchi had asked her body corporate for permission to keep the two dogs in her ground-floor unit but was knocked back on the grounds that the dogs could be dangerous to other residents.

But this week the tribunal ordered that the animals should stay, ruling that the owners’ corporation had been unreasonable and had mistakenly believed the dogs, Zoe and Lola, were pit bulls.

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luther_bendross said :

However, how the holy crapcakes do you keep two staffies in an apartment/townhouse??? I had some as a kid and they were always nutso! Nicest dogs ever, but they were always like Tazzie Devil after he’d jammed and 8-ball up his nose (not the pool ball either). Do you have furniture left or have they run your house into an Indycar circuit?

We have a secure backyard and the dogs get lots of exercise and attention. They are inside with us the rest if the time and are surprisingly calm – spending the majority of their time in their ‘crate’ (read: a cage with soft bedding that is left open at all times). They are very quiet, affectionate dogs. =)

jules_from_latham2:54 pm 28 Oct 11

Congratulations MissGen.

Luther – As an owner of one (sadly one now!) staffy, I can say that not all of them are that energetic, although of course some of them are – just like most breeds, they vary from animal to animal! My remaining staffy would be well suited to apartment life, the one sadly missed however would have been too excitable for an apartment.

johnboy said :

luther_bendross said :

So they’re yours, MissGen? Congrats, it’s noce to see nosey people being told where to stick their, um, noses. However, how the holy crapcakes do you keep two staffies in an apartment/townhouse??? I had some as a kid and they were always nutso! Nicest dogs ever, but they were always like Tazzie Devil after he’d jammed and 8-ball up his nose (not the pool ball either). Do you have furniture left or have they run your house into an Indycar circuit?

Three walks a day, at least one off leash and chasing a ball, will keep most dogs happy and calm in my experience.

+1

It’s a myth that most dogs need a big backyard to run around in. As long as you walk them enough and keep them mentally and physically active, they’ll chill while you’re out. Add some enrichment toys and some bones to chew and they are the happiest dogs on the block. 🙂

luther_bendross said :

So they’re yours, MissGen? Congrats, it’s noce to see nosey people being told where to stick their, um, noses. However, how the holy crapcakes do you keep two staffies in an apartment/townhouse??? I had some as a kid and they were always nutso! Nicest dogs ever, but they were always like Tazzie Devil after he’d jammed and 8-ball up his nose (not the pool ball either). Do you have furniture left or have they run your house into an Indycar circuit?

Three walks a day, at least one off leash and chasing a ball, will keep most dogs happy and calm in my experience.

luther_bendross1:51 pm 28 Oct 11

So they’re yours, MissGen? Congrats, it’s noce to see nosey people being told where to stick their, um, noses. However, how the holy crapcakes do you keep two staffies in an apartment/townhouse??? I had some as a kid and they were always nutso! Nicest dogs ever, but they were always like Tazzie Devil after he’d jammed and 8-ball up his nose (not the pool ball either). Do you have furniture left or have they run your house into an Indycar circuit?

MissGen said :

Thanks guys, we’re pretty happy with the verdict :).
As a responsible pet owner and homeowner, I did everything I should have and was bitterly disappointed when the Body Corporate took it upon themselves to make life difficult for us.
My little dogs are as happy as ever in their home and will be for a good while to come!

Good luck to you MissGen. There are so many dogs that are mistreated and sent to the pound each year because of irresponsible dog owners. It is great to hear that you love your dogs and are giving them a loving home.

I’m involved with a couple of body corporates that have regular whingers on them. On one, however, everyone else seems to have banded together against the sooks.

Thanks guys, we’re pretty happy with the verdict :).
As a responsible pet owner and homeowner, I did everything I should have and was bitterly disappointed when the Body Corporate took it upon themselves to make life difficult for us.
My little dogs are as happy as ever in their home and will be for a good while to come!

I’m very glad that common sense prevailed. Curtain twitchers indeed. The majority of the residents had no problem with having the dogs there. And the ones that opposed it backed up their claims with docs from some “Bite victims” group and an article from the SMH about a dog attack. About pitbulls. *rolls eyes*

The ACT is one of only 3 (I think) States/territories that don’t have breed specific dog legislation and I think that is a victory for common sense too.

Congratulations to the owner. One of the worst things about apartment living has been the lack of ability to keep pets. I can even remember Malcolm Turnbull talking about this privation during his childhood (!) on TV. The judging of dogs on their breed, not their behaviour is ridiculous, but I would suggest that Staffies are a lot quieter than small dogs, which is surely the most important thing in an apartment.

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