WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT TRAVELLING WITH DOGS ON PUBLIC TRANSIT? WHETHER YOU ARE A DOG OWNER OR NOT, WE VALUE AND WANT YOUR FEEDBACK: CLICK HERE TO TAKE OUR 3-MIN SURVEY.

We want this amendment to discussed at the next TransLink board meeting on September 28, 2022! The current pet policy cannot remain as is, not when the cost of living continues to drastically increase and climate change action is a top priority of the City of Vancouver. 

Our goal is to reach 10,000 signatures on our petition, and 5,000 responses on our survey from both dog owners and non-dog owners in time for the September 28, 2022 TransLink board meeting!

Follow our Facebook Page Dog-Friendly Vancouver for more petition updates!

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PETITION UPDATE - July 13/22:

Our petition has had live radios interviews on CBC Radio (July 11), CBC Radio (July 13),  Spice Radio 1200AM, and 900 CKNW (Global News).

As well as news articles from CBC Vancouver, CTV News, Vancouver is Awesome, Vancouver Sun, North Shore News, iHeartRadio, Daily Hive, Vancouver Island Free Daily, and many more!

TransLink continues to reiterate their current policy to every media outlet that has reached out to them to comment on our petition. They have given the same blanket statement "TransLink’s pet policy allows pets on transit if they are in a fully enclosed handheld carrier that can fit on their handler’s lap. This includes enclosed backpacks and bags. It is reflective of pet policies in place at many other transit agencies in Canada and the U.S.,"

TransLink's claim that their policy is reflective of other policies across North America is not accurate. The research table they provided in their Board of Directors Meeting on October 4, 2018 does not specify the difference between the policies that allow enclosed vs. not-enclosed carriers.

For this reason, we've created an accurate and up-to-date table that shows what other the transit dog policies are in other cities around the world.

Instead of saying “how we can find a compromise so that dog-owners can access public transit more easily”, TransLink is just saying no, we won’t even consider changing our policies - even though there is a huge demand for it.

How is that benefiting the people of Vancouver who want to use a more afforable method of transit? How is that benefiting the environment and tackling climate change? It’s not. If other world-class cities have found ways to be more flexible for dog owners, then Vancouver should be able to as well.

TransLink shouldn’t be satisfied with creating the bare minimum in public transport standards, they should be striving to be a global leader in green transportation, helping Vancouver get as many cars off the road as possible. And that means having an open-mind to finding a solution to a growing problem.

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OUR PETITION FOR AMENDING TRANSLINK'S PET POLICY:

We are petitioning TransLink to amend their current pet policy to resemble to current New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority Policy: 

• The NYC MTA policy for bringing dogs onto trains and buses is that they have to be held in a bag or carrier. They do not have to be completely enclosed, as long as they are contained and don't impede upon other passengers.
• In comparison, TransLink’s pet policy states "pets must be kept in small, hand-held, fully enclosed cages that fit in your lap, with no part of the animal exposed."

It's Time for TransLink to Catch Up with Other World-Class Cities

In 2017, Vancouver Parks Board asked for an ease on transit restrictions, however despite the demand TransLink refused to make any changes to their policy.

Now, 5 years and a global pandemic later, we - the dog owners of Greater Vancouver - are demanding a change to their pets-on-board policy. 

If NYC, the city with the largest number of rapid transit stations in the world, allows and actively promotes dogs to ride the subway in a carrier (such as a backpack or tote bag) as long they don't annoy other passengers, why is Vancouver so stingy on allowing pets on transit? Other large cities comparable to Vancouver like Toronto, Calgary, and Seattle even allow leashed, well-behaved dogs on transit. 

Currently TransLink only allows pet to be "kept in small, hand-held, fully enclosed cages that fit in your lap". Which greatly restricts travel to those owners with animals less than 10lbs. It's unreasonable to expect dog owners to own a vehicle or pay for a car-hire every time they want to travel with their pet.  

Why Dogs Should be Allowed on Public Transit

1) Cost of Living in Vancouver is Extremely High - and it's Not Getting Any Better
In 2022, Vancouver was ranked as the third least affordable city in the world. With the rising costs of rent, gas prices and inflation rates more people are opting to ride public transit. However dog owners are extremely limited in where they can go with the current TransLink policies. Limited public transport options are one of the biggest reasons for dog owners keeping their vehicles. Even those few car hailing services and taxis that allow pets charge an additional pet fee for our furry friends to travel with us. 

2) Help the City of Vancouver's Climate Emergency Action Plan's (CEAP) goals of reducing carbon pollution in half by 2030, and reaching their ultimate goal of being a carbon neutral city by 2050.
Getting cars off the road, will make Vancouver a greener and more environmentally-friendly city. Without any alternative options, dog owners have no choice but to hold onto their vehicles and continue driving around. By amending the pet policy and being more flexible with dog ridership, we can help Vancouver reach their CEAP targets, such as having 66% of all trips in Vancouver to be by active transportation and public transit.

3) Over 36% of Vancouver Households Owns Dogs

According to a ‘People Parks and Dogs’ Strategy Report, prepared for the City of Vancouver Park Board October 2017, in a 2008 survey it was estimated that 36% of households had dogs - which meant that there were over 145,500 dogs in the city of Vancouver. In 14 years that number has increased drastically.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a huge boom in pet ownership. According to the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI), 58% of Canadian households report they own at least one dog or cat and specifically the Canadian dog population continued to grow, increasing from 7.6 million to 7.7 million from 2018 to 2020.

In addition to the CAHI pandemic pet survey results, another survey conducted by Abacus Data in 2021, found that approximately 900,000 Canadians got a pet in the first year of the pandemic who didn’t have one before– that’s roughly 3% of the Canadian population. In British Columbia specifically, the same survey found that 49% of households reported having pets.

4) Dog Owners Need to Get Places Too

Some examples of situations where we need to travel or transport our dogs outside the walking radius of our neighbourhood:

• Taking our dog to the vet, groomer or other pet-related service
• Travelling to outdoor pet-friendly parks, hikes and areas
• Visiting friends and family
• Travelling to the airport or ferry terminal

We Want TransLink to Open a Dialogue and Work With Us to Find a Solution
Here are some of the reasonable pet policies cities like Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, San Fran, NYC, Boston, Cleveland, Portland, Seattle, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Rome, Vienna, Budapest, and many others have:

• Allowing dogs to travel in backpacks, totes and carriers (not fully enclosed) so long as they don't bother or impede on other passengers
• Allowing dogs to walk onto transit on a short leash; some policies require muzzles, others do not
• Allowing dogs to travel during off-peak times (non-rush hour), weekends and holidays
• Having pet-free compartments where those that have allergies or do not wish to be in the same compartment as pets can choose to travel in
• Having a limit on the number of dogs per compartment and/or bus
• Having dog owners pay an additional fare for their dog (a child's fare)
• Providing up to date vaccine and flea medication information on request while travelling with a dog
• Testing new pet policies with pilot programs for a specific amount of time (ex. 6 months) and getting feedback from riders during and after
• Paying for an additional license for your dog that is attached to your dog's city licence, and having any offences registered against the licence.
• Only be allowed to travel when there's room for the owner and their dog (ex. they would not be able to ride when there's standing room only)
• Allocating specific areas of the bus/compartment where dogs must go (ex. the back of the bus, not at the front where elderly, wheelchairs and other disabled passengers sit)

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CURRENT TRANSLINK PET POLICY

Currently this is the TransLink Policy on travelling with pets on transit:
"Pets are allowed on board transit services, provided they are kept in an appropriate cage. Follow these rules when travelling with non-service animals:

• Pets must be kept in small, hand-held, fully enclosed cages that fit in your lap, with no part of the animal exposed.
• Cages must be clean, odour-free, and with no sharp edges.
• Cages may be placed on the floor, if they do not impede other passengers. They may not be placed near doors.
• Only one pet per passenger is permitted.
• Dog strollers are not permitted.
• Pets are not allowed on HandyDART. Assistance animals are accepted.

Please keep in mind that drivers may refuse to allow pets on board, at their discretion. This may be because of a risk to other passengers or because of limited space. We recommend travelling during off-peak times."