Turns out, you can’t take your dog or cat with you on the subway everywhere you go; there are still many places that do not allow this throughout the city. Interestingly enough, as CTV reports, it’s starting this Saturday that bringing your dog or cat on the subway — or rather Metro, as it’s known in the city — has just been legalized.
Many celebrated this. Sitting here writing this I see people walking towards my neighborhood subway station, walking with their pets to the swinging doors that lead to the stairway to the underground tunnels that make commuting so simple in this metropolis of Quebec, the dogs embark on an adventure of their own today, getting a glimpse of what they may have only felt like vibrations beneath them until now as they roamed their blocks away with their best friends and adoptive parents.
So where can your dog take the subway with you? In which cities? Keep reading to find out…
In the city of Montreal, an assistance dog has been allowed since time immemorial, and the rare occasion that I saw one while taking the metro myself, was a great opportunity to see a cute dog, sitting patiently next to his adoptive mum or dad…someone they’ve sworn to protect and guide…a job these dogs do so amazingly…still impresses me greatly.
Philippe Dery, who is the spokesperson for public transit in Montreal, the STM, had this to say about the new rule put in place this weekend:
“To make the metro more accessible and a sustainable mobility option. You don’t have to take a taxi…”
via CTV (link above)
And what he means is that dog owners who need to take their pet somewhere in particular can take the metro, which as mentioned makes getting around Montreal and j imagine any large metropolis anywhere in North America.
It was actually the Montreal SPCA who pressed the city’s mayor, Valérie Plante, to make the change, and eventually it came to fruition – something Plante should indeed be commended for doing.
Being able to travel with your dog on the subway will be something that many will appreciate. This obviously makes a lot of people happy already, as I said above (and for the record, reading my work here, at least 4 other people entered the metro station near my house with their dogs in tow, and I expect many more to do so over the weekend and months to come).
Interestingly, as the CTV article also reports, the SPCA has some tips on how to better prepare your dog to ride the subway (an adorable and aptly titled page on their website titled “Fido on the Subway.. .”), because as mentioned above, it is a new experience for them as much as for the owner of the animal.
But can you take your pet with you on the subway wherever you go, whatever North American city you visit?
It’s in a helpful list posted on gopetfriendly.com that lets you know exactly where this practice is allowed and unfortunately banned (or at least until it was published in June this year). When traveling anywhere, it’s always best to check the rules on this.
As the article suggests, many places are still a bit archaic in terms of traveling with an animal…suggesting that said animal is in a crate or carrier that fits under an individual’s seat on public transport, but there are places that are a little looser with their policies as Montreal has now decided to be.
Hopefully that changes across the continent, dear readers, because that can be a positive thing. Now it’s up to pet owners to train and properly prepare their dogs for this trip to Montreal and everywhere else that will follow.
What are your own city’s policies regarding pets on public transport, dear reader? Let us know.