November 2023
Pets in high-rise buildings offer benefits to their owners so long as they are properly managed on a building-wide scale.
Some pet owners don’t pick up after their pets which creates health hazards and environmental effects on all building residents and property. This is a genuine health concern and contaminant.
Unscooped pet waste is a nuisance. Nobody wants to see it, let alone smell or step in it.
Pet waste is dangerous for people and pets. It contains harmful pathogens and bacteria. Risks are considerably higher in areas where humans and animals live in close proximity, such as high-rise communities. Bacteria in pet waste can survive for years. It enters water sources through storm sewers, ending up in local lakes, rivers and streams.
Where these challenges are not properly met, property values and rents drop, and repair costs increase.
It is estimated that 40 percent of pet owners fail to clean up after their pets which forces building management to play an active role to address the problem.
A community where “someone else” cleans up pet waste is one where residents quickly learn that someone will do this work for them.
Proactive pet waste management begins with establishing expectations. Management should have a registration system for all pets. Owners should know they are responsible for cleaning up after their pets in all common areas, ensure pets don’t cause damage to property and don’t act in a threatening manner. Noisy pets don’t belong in a high-rise community.
To aid pet owners in acting responsibly, some communities establish pet waste stations stocked with pet waste disposal bags and a receptacle. Underground receptacles work best to keep disposed pet waste away from people and pets without it smelling. These large receptacles are periodically emptied by a disposal service.
Biotechnology in the form of pet dna services ensure that those who fail to pick up after their pets are identified and charged the cost of their irresponsible actions.
Communities which implement effective pet waste management solutions report up to a 95 percent reduction in pet waste problems.
