Online petition wants dog to GO, not stay

Thestar.com
Aug. 22, 2017
By Ben Spurr

A Mississauga woman has launched a campaign to loosen GO Transit's regulations about canine companions.

Kimberly Fleming lives less than a 15-minute walk from the Port Credit GO Transit station in her hometown. She said she prefers using public transit, but frequently has to drive into Toronto because she can't take her dog, a 1-year-old miniature Australian shepherd named Tess, on the train.

GO Transit policy states that unless they're service animals, dogs aren't allowed on the agency's buses and trains unless they're in "enclosed, secure carriers that do not inconvenience other customers."

Fleming said there's "no way" she could lug Tess, who weighs about 14 kg, around in a crate. There's also the question of what she would do with the carrier when she arrived at her destination.

That's why she started an online petition last week asking GO Transit to review its pet policy.

"I would prefer to get out of this traffic and to be able to take a leashed dog in a safe way across the city," said Fleming in a phone interview from her car, where she was on her way to get Tess treated for a limp by a specialist in Scarborough.

"This policy, it's far too restrictive ... Car ownership should not be a requirement to have a dog," she said.

As of late Tuesday afternoon Fleming's petition had about 370 signatures.

In an email, Anne Marie Aikins, a spokesperson for Metrolinx, the provincial agency that operates GO Transit, said the organization had "no immediate plans to change our policy regarding pets."

She said the rules are in place to ensure the safety and comfort of GO riders, as well as to protect transit agency property.

She acknowledged that both pet- and non-pet-owners have "passionate feelings" about the regulations. "Some like the policy and others want it to be more open and we always try to create a balance," she said.

Fleming argued that it would be simple for Metrolinx to craft regulations that allowed dog-owners to travel with their pets without inconveniencing other riders who may have allergies or a fear of canines.

Certain cars on GO trains could be designated dog-free, she suggests, and pets could be restricted to the first level of each double-decker car.

Compared to GO Transit, the TTC has more lax rules about pets. The agency allows leashed dogs on its vehicles as long as they ride outside of weekday peak service periods, which the TTC defines as 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Service animals are allowed at all times.

Fleming asserted that as GO Transit and the TTC move toward greater integration through a standardized fare structure, the agencies also need to harmonize policies about pets and other issues in order to give customers a "seamless" ride.

But while looser rules work for the TTC, Aikins said they may not suit GO Transit, which is a regional service. That means "trips can be much longer and trains crowded," she said. "So (the policy) is to protect the animal, our customers, and of course our seats!"

Cindy Smith, who writes a blog about commuting by GO Transit called This Crazy Train, said that in her experience the rules about dogs isn't strictly enforced and that passengers do sometimes bring their pets aboard with just a leash.

She predicted that most GO users wouldn't object if Metrolinx relaxed the policy.

"I don't think you're going to get everyone to agree on what is best," she said. "But as a regular GO commuter, as long as I'm a paying customer and I get to sit before your dog does, we're good!"