Because pets are a great companion and can improve your health, author Mary Shannon of SeniorsMeet shares some tips to consider if you want to find the best assisted living communities.
The Secret to Finding a Pet-Friendly Housing Complex
To find a pet-friendly assisted living community, you need to consider a housing complex that welcomes pets. Also, as New Perspective points out, it’s important to understand the questions to ask before moving in. Most pets in senior living communities include cats and dogs, but you can also find pets like ferrets, birds, and guinea pigs. Check the local laws as some places may not allow certain kinds of animals.
Often, there’s a weight limit for dogs, but you can negotiate this in some places. When negotiating, remember to personalize the situation, know what you want, and stay focused on the issue at hand. With enough preparation, you’ll be better able to increase the chance of finding a home for you and your pup.
To prepare for the move, you need to raise the required budget. This is possible if you can sell your home. Before selling your home, it’s important to inspect everything to understand what upgrades you must make to help it sell faster. Check home trends to find ideas, and research the type of projects that will most likely boost your home value.
Challenges for Low-Income Pet Owners
There are many variations in pet policies that restrict their breed or size. This can be hard for low-income earners to handle as it’s not easy to afford to shop around for the perfect housing complex. Often, most people put the dog into the pound as they cannot find a place that can take the dog.
When searching for a suitable assisted living community, you want a place that will welcome your pet without any restrictions. You could also consider adopting a smaller dog if you don’t have one already.
Common Restrictions and Policies
Not all assisted living communities will make it easy for residents to keep pets. Often, there are restrictions in place, but the good news is that if you have a small pet, you will easily find assisted living communities. Some of the rules to remember include:
- Extra Deposit – Seniors with pets may be required to pay a non-refundable deposit. Often, communities limit the number of pets you can adopt or bring. The common limit is one to two pets.
- Non-Exotic Pets – Exotic pets are considered animals that are not normally domesticated. An example would be keeping a python. Remember this when considering adopting a pet, as you must get an animal within the rules.
- Temperament and Breed – Some communities don’t accept dog breeds like pit bulls. They will offer regulations that state you can only adopt “no attack-type dogs”. Also, the animal must have a temperament that makes it easy for staff to explore the residence.
- Designated Pet Caretaker – In some communities, you’re required to designate someone in the area to take care of the pet in case you’re not available, such as when recovering from an illness.
Conclusion
When looking for a pet-friendly assisted living community, it’s important to keep in mind the different rules and regulations you must follow. This makes it possible to find a good place you can stay with your pet. Check that your pet meets all the requirements and also search for communities that don’t have strict rules on your pet breed.
Author Mary Shannon created SeniorsMeet.org, along with her husband, Bob, to have a website that allows seniors to meet up and talk about topics that are relevant to their daily lives. They hope to build SeniorsMeet into a supportive community of like-minded seniors.
Carol McKibben writes from a dog’s worldview! Reach out to Carol today and ask about her editing and other creative services!