No pets allowed

Assisted living, but please without cats and dogs

In future, dogs and cats must remain outside in assisted living units.(Bild: Tatyana Gladskih - stock.adobe.com)

The local council in Oberwart is now cracking down on complaints: In future, residents of sheltered housing will not be allowed to keep dogs and cats in their apartments. 

It is no longer a secret that pets have an extraordinary ability to make their owners smile and give them a special feeling of happiness. According to studies, it is precisely this effect that has a significant impact on older people, especially those suffering from dementia.

72 apartments at Dr. Emmerich Gyenge-Platz affected
And it is precisely this group of people who will now have to do without cats and dogs in assisted living in Oberwart. The Oberwart local council has unanimously decided that the 72 rental apartments at Dr. Emmerich Gyenge-Platz will only be allocated to tenants who agree not to keep dogs and cats. "This tough approach was our last chance to get the problems under control," argues Mayor Georg Rosner.

Soiling and complaints
In the past, there had been numerous complaints about soiling in the publicly accessible areas as well as annoyance about loud dog barking. "Because the fluctuation in these apartments is particularly high, there has also often been displeasure at apartment handovers, as many a pet has left its mark and the clean-up costs a lot of money," says Rosner.

Ban only applies to new tenants
But the ban on cats and dogs is not all. In future, we also want to take a very close look at the selection of tenants. While there was previously only an age limit for tenants, the new guidelines stipulate that residents must be in at least the first care level. The new guidelines only apply to new residents. All those who currently have dogs and cats may continue to keep them.