Paw & Order

Description

After finding her strata home, musician Jo Cooper learnt the unfortunate news that her building had a blanket ban on pets. Jo, the owner of a miniature schnauzer named Angus, was left with two options - she could break the rules and sneak Angus into the building, or she could give her fur-baby up for adoption. The latter proved a thought too terrible to stand, so rather than 'sneak the dog in and leave the by-laws alone', as suggested by fellow pet owners, Jo fought to change the by-law and took her battle all the way to the New South Wales High Court. What followed was a long and gruelling five-and-a-half-year legal battle which culminated in Jo successfully changing the by-laws, securing a victory for all strata owners and positively affecting thousands of apartment residents and their pets across the state of New South Wales. During her battle, Jo was buoyed by the constant support of fellow pet owners who helped Jo keep going to her landmark victory. Paw & Order is a heartfelt thank you to the people (and their pets) who stood for real and lasting change - and won.

Jo Cooper is an Australian singer/songwriter with a vivacious spirit and passion for standing up for what she believes in. After leaving her corporate career to follow her childhood passion of music, Jo has used her music to advocate against bullying and domestic violence. In 2015, Jo was forced into a legal battle against the Owners' Corporation of her Darlinghurst apartment building to overturn a bylaw which saw a blanket ban on pets. After a five-and-a-half-year long fight, the NSW Courts of Appeals finally ruled in her favour. Ten months after the court judgment on 25 August 2021, NSW Government implemented Jo's outcome into legislation. Jo's beloved miniature schnauzer, Angus, and all the pets in strata were allowed to remain in their apartment buildings. Despite standing up for what she believed in, Jo experienced a relentless amount of bullying from all sides. Through this turbulent time, Jo was able to find solace in her music where she realised the true healing effects music can have.