Daniel Irvin said Wile E. Coyote adopted him when he was 9 months old. (Courtesy of Daniel Irvin)
A traveler is frustrated with the way Marine Atlantic treats customers with pets after having a rough time on a boat with his special needs dog.
Daniel Irvin booked a pet-friendly cabin months in advance for his March 19 trip and traveled comfortably with his 75-pound Malamute Golden St. Paul rescue dog, Wile E. Coyote. I made it possible. Bernard mix.
However, she said she was unable to secure the cabin she had booked because the trip was postponed due to weather. Instead, her dog had to spend the 12-hour trip stuck in the car.
“They're so cavalier that they say you can stick your pet in here, you can do this, or you can get off. And it was literally a partisan line from everyone. So it's clearly That's the Atlantic side of the ocean,” Irvine told CBC News.
The only option was a kennel.
When Mr. Irving told Marine Atlantic that his dog could not be confined to a small space, he was less than impressed with the way Marine Atlantic handled the situation. She said her manager told her she could postpone her trip an additional two days if a pet-friendly cabin became available at another intersection.
Unable to delay the trip any longer, Irvine said she ended up keeping her dog in the car for the entire trip. She said the kennel was not an accessible or safe place.
After being in the car for 12 hours, Irvine said she checked on her dog and found it appeared to be in pain and the car was covered in drool. (Courtesy of Daniel Irvin)
In other situations, owners could be charged with neglect if they leave their pets in the car, she said.
“It's actually an abusive situation, unless you have a pet that's completely calm and snoozes and relaxes,” she said.
Mr. Irvine's cabin was downgraded, but he was told he could not bring his dog with him because another passenger had allergies.
“What they ultimately said to me was, 'The cleanliness of this shed is more important than the mental and physical health of the animal because of the stress of this situation,'” Irvine said. Told.
Now, whenever she lets her dog near the car, she panics.
Pet-friendly cabins on the return trip are also not guaranteed, she added.
Marine Atlantic spokesman Darrell Mercer said the ship's dimensions limit the number of cabins the company can designate as pet-friendly. (Marine Atlantic/Twitter)
Irvine said she wants to change the way Marine Atlantic handles traveling with pets.
“We want travelers to remember that travel is an essential service, not a destination, so we really need to look at the whole picture of the traveling public. ”
Space on the ferry is limited
Marine Atlantic spokesman Darrell Mercer said the airline is trying to accommodate passengers, but that's not always possible.
He said MV Blue Patties and MV Highlanders have eight pet-friendly cabins, seven of which are for general passengers and one for commercial drivers. Pet-friendly cabins sell out quickly, and some are booked up to a year in advance.
Unfortunately, Mercer says these cabins are in high demand.
Mercer said designated cabins are also available for commercial drivers, disabled passengers and general passengers, but are limited by the vessel's available space. The company is also moving pet-friendly cabins away from other cabins.
When the company's newest ferry enters service this summer, it will have 31 pet-friendly cabins, Mercer said.
He said it's rare for pets to stay in the car on short trips.
On long voyages where pet-friendly cabins are not available, Marine Atlantic recommends keeping pets in kennels rather than in the vehicle, he said.
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