Pets bring us so much joy and companionship, so when you’re ready to downsize you need to be sure that your furry and feathered friends will be welcome as well.
Not all Australian retirement villages welcome pets. In fact, according to a 2018 Animal Welfare League survey, only 18 percent of residential aged care facilities allowed pets – this is even though 64 percent of Australian households have pets.
Many older retirement villages weren’t built with pets in mind and don’t have private yards or off-leash walking areas. And for many years, these villages enforced a blanket ban on all pets.
Lifestyle resorts that are created for active over 50s, such as GemLife, are completely pet friendly.
These resorts tend to be much newer and designed with pet ownership in mind with plenty of leashed walking areas and many also offering enclosed off-leash pet areas as part of the development.
GemLife Maroochy Quays homeowner and retired veterinary surgeon Ernie Young is impressed by these pet-friendly resorts.
Ernie says the fact GemLife homes are completely self-contained gives pets the opportunity to feel secure in their own environment.
One of the biggest risk factors of moving into a new home with a pet is having them escape their yard and getting run over, he said.
That, of course, doesn’t happen at GemLife because every home comes with its own secured and gated yard, and if a pet should sneak out – which rarely happens – the resort itself is gated.
With 50 years’ experience as a vet in Sydney, Canberra and on the Sunshine Coast, Ernie has seen and treated a lot of pets over the years and says it’s a pleasure to see so many responsible pet owners at GemLife.
The pets here are typically desexed and older,” said Ernie. “And cat owners ensure their pets stay in their yards – in fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a cat wandering about in the 18 months since I’ve lived here.
We all love our furry companions, so it’s important to choose a downsizing option that will make them feel as welcome as you are. At GemLife, our resorts are designed with pet ownership in mind.
Each of our homes feature secured yards that will have your pets feeling safe and secure. Within the resort, there are plenty of walking areas for leashed pets as well as a sizable off-leash area.