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As our relationship with our dogs evolves due to their positive impact on our health, are our local laws keeping pace?

Will dogs finally have their day? We meet the people fighting for man’s – and woman’s – best friend to be treated as such out and about.

Pet dogs lead rescuers to missing elderly man

It took four years and a pandemic for Natasha Scionti to finally consider getting another dog after the loss of her beloved Coco.

The Bellevue Hill student credits two-year-old pomeranian Apollo with helping her survive the long, lonely months of remote learning away from her friends at Kincoppal-Rose Bay School.

“He comes literally everywhere with me. I’m always either holding him or he’s in my handbag,” Scionti says. “When my baby Apollo is with me everyone wants to stop and pat him, so it has that social aspect – I meet a lot of people because of him.”

While many of the shops Scionti regularly patronises welcome Apollo if he is in her bag, it’s certainly not a universal experience.

“It’s very much a more unspoken rule where I live,” she says.

“I definitely think we should be looking at the laws and allowing our pets to be with us more of the time.”

According to the NSW Pet Registry, during the pandemic metropolitan Sydney areas recorded some of the highest increases in pet ownership in the state.

Willoughby Council reported a 67.2 per cent increase in the number of dogs registered last financial year with an extra 500 pooches on the books compared to 2019/2020.

Natasha Scionti and her pomeranian Apollo shopping at Studio B in Bellevue Hill. Picture: John Appleyard
Natasha Scionti and her pomeranian Apollo shopping at Studio B in Bellevue Hill. Picture: John Appleyard

It was a similar story at Mosman Council with 254 new dog registrations equating to a 64.9 per cent jump.

With so many new furry companions living among us, the fight for pets to be allowed access to public spaces is not going anywhere.

Darlinghurst’s Jo Cooper made national headlines with her landmark win in court following a five-and-a-half-year battle to allow her schnauzer, Angus, to live with her in the iconic Horizon apartment complex.

Cooper’s win inspired a law in NSW which passed last year, forbidding strata committees from making blanket bans against pets.

“I don’t understand why we have this focus on pets,” Cooper says.

“I could be the neighbour from hell without a pet. I could have music on every night, have three kids in a two-bedroom apartment who scream and jump – it’s like this laser focus on pets.

“The majority of people are good pet owners, just like the majority of people are good neighbours.”

Sadly, 15-year-old Angus passed away in October and Cooper continues to feel his absence deeply.

Jo Cooper photographed with her beloved dog Angus who passed away last year. Picture: Rohan Kelly
Jo Cooper photographed with her beloved dog Angus who passed away last year. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Angus’ journey inspired Cooper to write the newly published book Paw and Order, which contains not only her story but those of pet owners across Australia whose lives have been forever changed by their faithful companions.

“The book is a lesson in why you should stick up for what you believe in, but it’s also about the importance of pet ownership,” Cooper says.

“The sad thing about it is I’m still dealing with people trying to overcome strata committees who are coming up with new, creative ways to prevent pet ownership. Some are charging $2000 for a pet application, which is disgusting.”

Cooper also receives heartbreaking messages from people such as elderly residents who don’t have access to a car and are unable to take their pets to the vet because they can’t travel with them on public transport.

“I’m not saying you have to take your pet everywhere,” Cooper says, “but pets should be respected for what they bring to society.

“Quite frankly, they’re better behaved than humans most of the time.

“Pets make humans better and they make communities tighter.

“You should be able to jump on a train with your pet.”

Unfortunately, Mosman councillor Simon Menzies’ bid to champion the inclusion of pets in society has not been as successful.

Councillor Simon Menzies is battling Transport for NSW. Picture: AAP Image/Jordan Shields
Councillor Simon Menzies is battling Transport for NSW. Picture: AAP Image/Jordan Shields

For more than a year, Menzies has been battling Transport for NSW to reverse a decision to only allow pets on ferries if they are crated.

According to TfNSW, pets (excluding service animals) are not allowed on the train at all but they can travel on buses, ferries, light rail and in taxis if they are crated.

However, the very important caveat is that each individual trip is at the discretion of the driver.

Reasons drivers can refuse a pet include if the service is too busy, the crate is likely to obstruct a passageway or they believe the pet may annoy other passengers.

For as long as anyone can remember, well-behaved and leashed dogs have been welcome on ferries in Sydney, but all that changed in July last year.

Menzies started a petition for a return of the old rule which reached almost 5000 signatures and was tabled in parliament by North Shore MP Felicity Wilson.

“We were just asking for the old rule to come back into play, which has been the rule forever,” Menzies says.

“It’s very sad the community is going this way – the direct opposite way other countries who realise the benefits and are more inclusive are going.

“If Sydney is to become a truly global city, it needs to move forward with regards to pets in three key areas. One is public transport, two is making more dog-friendly off-leash areas not just in Mosman but across the state and three is welcoming them into shopping areas so dogs can spend more time going out with their owners.”

Alice De Innocentiis and Francesco Riginelli with their jackhuahua Ralla. Picture: John Appleyard
Alice De Innocentiis and Francesco Riginelli with their jackhuahua Ralla. Picture: John Appleyard

Menzies has supporters in the dog-owning community, including Alice De Innocentiis and Francesco Riginelli, who own a jackhuahua called Ralla.

“As a pet owner in NSW, I am very much restricted with what I can do and where I can go with Ralla,” De Innocentiis says.

“Practical solutions are already in place in other countries, where dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere from trains to supermarkets.

“If dogs can easily travel on planes and freely walk in airports in Europe, I don’t understand why there is no intention here in Australia to be more aligned with the times and implement similar opportunities.

“For example, a specific area of the Manly Ferry could be allocated for pets to sit with their owners, to enable all passengers to have the best travel experience. The solutions are already available, we just have to be willing to implement them.”

City of Sydney councillor Yvonne Weldon ran a high-profile election campaign based around her plan to transform Sydney to be pet-friendly.

While her bid for lord mayor was ultimately unsuccessful, Weldon still secured a seat on council, where she plans to use her experience as an owner of three dogs to change the narrative around pets in society.

Olive the cavalier King Charles spaniel and her friend Ralla want easy access to public transport. Picture: John Appleyard
Olive the cavalier King Charles spaniel and her friend Ralla want easy access to public transport. Picture: John Appleyard

“Just think about an elderly person with no family other than their pet. Some of the rules are like saying to them, ‘you have no rights and you can’t be accepted in society’,” Weldon says.

“Life is hard enough as it is. I don’t think we should be making it even harder for people to simply own a pet.”

Weldon says allowing pets in settings such as restaurants and cafes and on public transport not only makes sense from a social and emotional perspective, but also an economic one.

“So many people want to venture out now the Covid restrictions have eased but a lot of them don’t want to leave their pets,” she says.

“Imagine how much busier our businesses would be if people could take their pets with them.”

Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has long been a supporter of amending companion animal laws, particularly those that involve pets frequenting pubs, and he is encouraged by the growing number of restaurants that allow pets in outdoor settings.

He and his husband, Victor Hoeld, share 10-year-old rescue pooch Max, who they take with them whenever practical.

City of Sydney councillor Yvonne Weldon wants Sydney to be pet friendly. Picture: John Appleyard
City of Sydney councillor Yvonne Weldon wants Sydney to be pet friendly. Picture: John Appleyard

“Max loves to come out to dinner at Bei Amici at Darling Point,” Greenwich says.

“He’s a really important part of my husband’s and my life.

“I know a lot of Paddington pubs want to be able to allow dogs in, but the current restrictions are stopping them.”

Greenwich says many of his constituents own a pet but not a car, so he is also an advocate for allowing them to travel via public transport.

“In Europe, where they allow the animals on public transport, there are no issues whatsoever,” Greenwich says.

“I know the transport minister, David Elliott, is looking into it. After all, we want people to reduce car ownership and increase public transport use.

“Currently, if you don’t have a car and need to take your pet to a vet, you have to take pot luck with a taxi or Uber and hope they let you on, and that can often come at great expense.”

Veterinarian Dr Sam Kovac owns Southern Cross Vet clinics across Sydney, including in Surry Hills and Bellevue Hill.

In his 11 years as a vet, Kovac has seen the transformational impact pets have had on the families’ lives.

Dr Sam Kovac gives his staff paid pawternity leave. Picture: AC Agency.
Dr Sam Kovac gives his staff paid pawternity leave. Picture: AC Agency.

“During that time I’ve witnessed a dramatic change in people’s relationships with their pets,” he says.

“Some clients refuse to go to places which are not pet-friendly, instead choosing a cafe or pub where they can bring their dogs. Others only go on holidays when the accommodation allows pets, and some even take time off work if their pet has to have an operation.

“That certainly was not the case a decade ago, when pets were mainly left in the backyard.

“My staff at Southern Cross Vet even get paid pawternity leave to spend the critical first few weeks with their new pets.”

But not everyone is as lucky, and Kovac has a front-row seat to the trauma restrictions on pets can have on their owners.

“An elderly lady asked me to euthanise her dog, who she had for 15 years. Due to circumstances she had to move rental properties and could not find a place which would allow her small dog,” he says.

“It was heartbreaking. I can still see her face when she asked me. However, I am happy to say I offered free boarding for the dog to give her more time to find accommodation, which she eventually did.

“This story had a happy ending. Many do not.”

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/mosman-daily/as-our-relationship-with-our-dogs-evolves-due-to-their-positive-impact-on-our-health-are-our-local-laws-keeping-pace/news-story/17095c6bce511222e435bce14f25421b