Metrolinx is reviewing its policy limiting pets on transit

GO train rider started a petition after she was told her dog could not ride the rails.

Thestar.com
Aug. 23, 2017
By Gilbert Ngabo

Metrolinx hopes to better accommodate its four-legged travellers.

The regional transit agency is reviewing its pet policy, spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins told Metro. The move follows a widely circulated petition in which Kimberly Fleming of Port Credit called for change after her 14-kg dog was refused entry to buses and trains. She was told the dog couldn't ride unless enclosed in a carrier.

The existing pet policy only allows licensed service dogs, while other dogs can be permitted to board only if they're crated in secure carriers in a way that does not "inconvenience other customers."

"She makes some compelling arguments," said Aikins of Fleming's petition, which suggests designating some cars as dog-free or restricting leashed dogs on the first level.

The petition had garnered nearly 1,000 signatures by Wednesday afternoon.

Aikins said the agency regularly canvasses its customers on various topics but had never asked their opinion on the pet policy. With Go Transit continuing to expand and now under one management with UP Express, she said it's high time for the agency to explore options to ensure harmonization of service as well as customer comfort and safety.

The TTC 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.

She expects the review to be complete in the next few months but wouldn't confirm if any existing policies might change.

"We do hear very strong arguments on the other side as well, with people who suffer from allergies or those who travel when trains are fully packed," she said. "So our job is to create a balance."