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Katie Woolf spoke with RSPCA Darwin Chair Danny Moore · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Five minutes away from eleven o'clock. And look, we've heard
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  Speaker 1: from a lot of property owners this morning about their
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  Speaker 1: concerns around these around these changes which would allow pits
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  Speaker 1: into rental properties, but we really haven't heard about why
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  Speaker 1: the changes are coming into play. And joining us in
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  Speaker 1: the studio right now is the RSPCA Darwin Chair Danny Moore.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning, Danny, Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks for having us.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks so much for coming in this morning. Is
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  Speaker 1: this a change that the RSPCA advocated for.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. When the legislation came out and there was a
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  Speaker 2: scrutiny committee process, the RSPCA, along with many other organizations
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  Speaker 2: including real estate but also Council of Social Services, etc.
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  Speaker 2: All provided input into that process around the scrutiny process
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  Speaker 2: and justifications and changes that we saw and then since
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  Speaker 2: then as well as called on the government to progress
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  Speaker 2: with these changes and implement them.
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  Speaker 1: And so why what are the reasons for the RSPEE
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  Speaker 1: advocating for these changes to come into play?
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  Speaker 2: Well, if I make it very simple, it just makes sense.
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  Speaker 2: We've got the highest pet ownership rates in the country
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  Speaker 2: at eighty two percent. We've got the highest rental property
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  Speaker 2: numbers in the country at over fifty percent. That's twenty
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  Speaker 2: percent more than any other territory or state. So just
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  Speaker 2: the volume is there for the population that requires this,
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  Speaker 2: but also the number of animals that unnecessarily get surrendered
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  Speaker 2: because of unreasonable requests from landlords that end up impacting
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  Speaker 2: and being passed on to the charitable sectors. So not
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  Speaker 2: just us, the other rehoming groups as well.
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  Speaker 1: How many are we talking every year? How many dogs
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  Speaker 1: and cats are getting surrendered? Do you know because they're
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  Speaker 1: not actually able to take them into a rental property.
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  Speaker 2: I don't have the exact number, but we help that
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  Speaker 2: seven hundred and fifty two one thousand animals a year,
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  Speaker 2: and most of those come through pounds being found. And
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  Speaker 2: in fact, this morning when the team turn up at
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  Speaker 2: the shelter to work, there was an animal fight ap outside.
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  Speaker 2: We just don't know sometimes why they are but matter.
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  Speaker 1: But are you assuming that it is because they're not
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  Speaker 1: able to take them into a rental property.
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  Speaker 2: It could be the reason, It could be others. You know,
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  Speaker 2: we just don't know and we can't judge that, but
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  Speaker 2: there are numbers that we know, and is sizable numbers
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  Speaker 2: in the hundreds and I am facts. Yeah, I've been
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  Speaker 2: a beneficiary in some ways because I've got a dog
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  Speaker 2: that was surrendered because his owner moved and couldn't take
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  Speaker 2: him with him, had had him all his life and
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  Speaker 2: clearly loved dog. Yeah, so there's Truman there, both the
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  Speaker 2: animal but also the human. Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: I am an animal lover. You know that I've got
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  Speaker 1: two dogs. I love animals, But I am also I
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  Speaker 1: am somebody who's got an investment property not here in
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory, and these changes concern me. They do
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  Speaker 1: concern me, and I know that that's certainly the sentiment
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  Speaker 1: that we're hearing on the text line and on the
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  Speaker 1: phone line this morning. People are feeling really worried. They
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  Speaker 1: you know, they're saying to us that they would hope
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  Speaker 1: that anybody that's going to rent their home with a
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  Speaker 1: pet has the very very best of intentions and does
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  Speaker 1: plan on looking after the home. But they feel concerned
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  Speaker 1: that if somebody does move into their home and that
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  Speaker 1: animal does cause damage, that they don't have a leg
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  Speaker 1: to stand on.
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  Speaker 2: I completely understand, you know, people being concerned, but we
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  Speaker 2: can't assume that everyone is not a responsible pet owner.
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  Speaker 2: I think you made a comment I was listening on
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  Speaker 2: drive in around how you keep your house and you're
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  Speaker 2: cleaning regime, you can eat off the floor, and not
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  Speaker 2: everyone lives like that. So if we just assume everyone's
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  Speaker 2: bad pet owner, or do we assume that most people.
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  Speaker 1: Will not do to assume? You know what? Do we
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  Speaker 1: assume because common sense, unfortunately, or I guess experience for
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  Speaker 1: a lot of people shows us that unfortunately, not everybody
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  Speaker 1: you know, maybe looks after things the way that we'd
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  Speaker 1: hope that they would.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's not just pets that that can go
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  Speaker 2: for anything, that can be the party house, that can
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  Speaker 2: be the kids. Yeah, there's various reasons, and I think guess.
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  Speaker 1: We're upping the risk. That's the problem, you know, Like
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  Speaker 1: that's the concern that people have got, is that we're
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  Speaker 1: upping the risk in terms of, you know, the potential
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  Speaker 1: for some damage to happen in a home that you're
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  Speaker 1: if you're paying the mortgage on and you're paying the
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  Speaker 1: council rates and you're shouldering that responsibility. There's lots of
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  Speaker 1: people that are feeling really worried.
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  Speaker 2: About that, and that's again very valid reason to be worried.
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  Speaker 2: But what this really comes down to now is about
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  Speaker 2: being very strong on the landlord and the property managers
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  Speaker 2: doing their job well and vetting prospective tenants, making sure
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  Speaker 2: the reference check in. And I can speak from personal
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  Speaker 2: experience when I moved here from Victoria and we looked
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  Speaker 2: for a rental property which we struggled and we end
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  Speaker 2: up paying over and above the odds and having to
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  Speaker 2: pay extra price Scogeon if you like, we were lucky,
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  Speaker 2: we were fortunate we could afford to do that. But
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  Speaker 2: that landlord did the right thing and they sought references
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  Speaker 2: from Melbourne and people who could vouch for the behavior
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  Speaker 2: of dogs, the condition of the property and stuff. So
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  Speaker 2: what this really comes down to now is actually about
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  Speaker 2: doing proper vetting of prospective tenants. And that's not just
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  Speaker 2: dogs that can be our aid party house. It's caused
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  Speaker 2: destruction of how they live in the state of the house.
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  Speaker 2: It's not just about dogs or cats.
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  Speaker 1: And so do you reckon I mean, is that really
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  Speaker 1: is that what we need to be doing. Is that
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  Speaker 1: your advice I suppose for and I know you're not
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  Speaker 1: the minister, you're you know, you're the chair of the RSPCA,
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  Speaker 1: But is that really your advice for those people that
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  Speaker 1: are concerned you know, make sure that you do get
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  Speaker 1: your property manager to really vet the people that are
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  Speaker 1: potentially going to rent your home.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, I think that is, you know, if you want
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  Speaker 2: to counter the risk, make sure you're getting good tenants,
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  Speaker 2: and if you get good responsible pet owners, I'm sure
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  Speaker 2: they'll probably be responsible tenants as well. And I think,
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  Speaker 2: you know, in relation to the call earlier with or
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  Speaker 2: text with someone who had some damage to their property
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  Speaker 2: and the changeover in agents, it sounds like, yeah, I
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  Speaker 2: think that's coming down to making sure you're managing your
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  Speaker 2: agents well and that they're doing what they're supposed to
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  Speaker 2: and doing the checks regularly and the condition reports.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and again though I suppose you know, from a
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  Speaker 1: homeowner's perspective, all of that responsibility does fall on the home,
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  Speaker 1: and we all get that, but then you know, the
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  Speaker 1: thing that the responsibility that falls on the person who's
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  Speaker 1: renting is obviously looking after the home. And I think
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  Speaker 1: the big thing that we're hearing this morning is that
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  Speaker 1: they're worried that there is that additional layer in terms of,
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  Speaker 1: you know, the presumption that you can just have a
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  Speaker 1: pet rather than having to actually seek that approval from
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  Speaker 1: the person who owns the home and is shouldering that responsibility.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, ultimately there is. You know, as long as it's reasonable,
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  Speaker 2: there are grounds for landlords to refuse to have the pet.
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  Speaker 2: And let's not forget it's actually landlord's decision around who
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  Speaker 2: they rent a property to as well, so they are
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  Speaker 2: still in control.
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  Speaker 1: Hey, just one other thing I did want to ask
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  Speaker 1: you about, and I know that you and I spoke
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  Speaker 1: about this off air, is if if somebody has a unit,
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  Speaker 1: so if there's body corporate rules, it doesn't This doesn't
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  Speaker 1: change for those people, does it.
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  Speaker 2: That's correct. That's my understanding of the legislation in that
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  Speaker 2: if there's property body corporate rules, so you can't have
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  Speaker 2: pets in that property and then this doesn't override them
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  Speaker 2: in the act, that is the case, and that's something
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  Speaker 2: we'd actually like to see here and should go that
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  Speaker 2: step further. Yep, that's what we advocated for. Unfortunately the
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  Speaker 2: government didn't take that one up. But that is the
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  Speaker 2: case in act that overrides the body corporate rules. Queensland's
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  Speaker 2: has also flagged an intention to implement those laws. WA
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  Speaker 2: and Victoria have similar laws to what we now have.
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  Speaker 1: What about another message that came through a little earlier
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  Speaker 1: this morning was about the number of pets that you
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  Speaker 1: can have. Do the rules that are in place when
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  Speaker 1: it comes to council by laws still dominate. So if
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  Speaker 1: there is a council by law that says you can
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  Speaker 1: only have two dogs, you can't then all of a
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  Speaker 1: sudden have three dogs because you're renting a property.
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  Speaker 2: That's correct. So I do believe it is two in
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  Speaker 2: Citia Darwin. I've got two. You can have a third,
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  Speaker 2: but you have to seek permission from the council.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, So for those listening, the council by laws do
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  Speaker 1: still remain in place when it comes to responsible pet ownership. Well, Danny,
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  Speaker 1: we really appreciate you coming in this morning. You are,
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  Speaker 1: of course the r s p C A Darwin chair.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time.
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  Speaker 2: Great thanks, Katie, thank you