As Toronto's condo-boom continues, condo buyers and councillors alike are calling for developments to be designed with canines in mind. Developers are now looking to include amenities like “pet spas” and rooftop 'dog runs' in their developments.
“Dogs were one of the top issues that came up in consultations...with condo owners about the needs of their communities,” writes Tara Perkins. “Frustrations were divided between dog owners who want more amenities and neighbours who are being forced to get used to the four-legged tenants.”
“’It’s an amazing percentage of people that have dogs in condos, and it wasn’t foreseen,’ says city councillor Adam Vaughan. ‘And now we’ve got to figure out how the next generation of condominiums accommodate dog use, because clearly dogs are part of the community.’”
Condo developers are listening to the requests of local politicians - as well as their dog-loving potential buyers. A number of condo developments have incorporated 'pet spas' into their buildings while one developer, noting a successful precedent in New York City, is looking at adding a podium-level ‘dog run’ to one of its developments.
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