Thanks to you, dogs are now permanently allowed in the Montreal metro.
And that’s not all! A pilot project will be implemented in 2026 to extend this measure to STM buses, again thanks to your commitment!
We encourage citizens living outside Montreal to urge their elected representatives to make public transit more inclusive.
Many of you signed the letter addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Éric Alan Caldwell, Mayor Valérie Plante, and the leadership candidates of Montreal’s main political parties, asking that dogs be allowed on the STM bus network. Thank you!
Animals are part of our communities
The Montreal SPCA considers animals to be full-fledged members of our communities. This is why allowing dogs to travel throughout the public transit system is a priority issue for our organization.
The presence of dogs on public transit can help change certain preconceptions about these animals and reshape the way we live together. Encountering a dog during a trip even puts a smile on many people’s faces!
Dogs are allowed on buses in several major cities around the world, including Calgary, Toronto, Copenhagen, London, Boston, Lyon, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome and Helsinki. Why not in Quebec?
A measure that benefits dogs, humans and the planet
Banning dogs from buses restricts their access to large parks and green spaces, as well as to veterinary care, thus potentially compromising their health and welfare. This disproportionately affects persons with lower incomes and hinders individuals in need’s access to community programs that could benefit their animal, such as the Montreal SPCA’s low-cost sterilization clinic and pet food bank.
Allowing dogs to ride on buses also gives them more opportunities to exercise and socialize, thus reducing their risk of developing undesirable behaviours. By helping to create a more socialized, well-adjusted and better trained dog population, such a measure would therefore also promote public safety.
Lastly, prohibiting dogs on buses forces citizens to use their cars when they would otherwise choose not to do so for environmental reasons, whereas the fight against climate change requires the implementation of policies that discourage the use of cars.
Allowing dogs in the metro: proof that harmonious coexistence is possible
In response to the broad support we received from Montrealers during our Fido dans le métro campaign, which garnered nearly 18,000 signatures, the STM implemented a pilot project in 2022 to allow dogs in the metro. In December 2024, the STM permanently authorized dogs to travel in the metro.
Over the two-year span of the project, the STM did not document a single bite case, nor any substantiated complaints of soiling or damage caused by dogs. According to a survey conducted by the STM in September 2023, 70% of transit users were in favour of allowing dogs in the metro.
These results show that harmonious coexistence between dogs and public transit users is entirely possible!
By imposing certain restrictions, similar to the ones already in force in the metro, on persons travelling with their dogs on buses, it is possible to accommodate all transit users.
Montreal as a starting point for a more animal-inclusive province
All Quebec municipalities should allow dogs on their public transit systems, as do many cities around the world.
“The Montreal SPCA is currently focusing its efforts on the City of Montreal, in order to build on our recent victory with respect to the authorization of dogs in the metro. We also believe that allowing dogs on the STM bus network could set a precedent for other cities and towns in Quebec.”
— Sophie Gaillard, Director of Animal Advocacy and Legal and Government Affairs at the Montreal SPCA
Do you live outside the Island of Montreal and would you like to see dogs allowed on public transit in your municipality?
Write to your mayor and to the board of directors of your public transit corporation using the tools below:
- Find contact details – Directory of municipalities
- Copy all or part of this model letter to send to your representatives:
Dear Sir/Madam,
As a citizen of (____________), I would like to draw your attention to a matter that is close to my heart.
Did you know that dogs have been allowed on the Montreal metro since 2022? Experience in the Montreal metro has shown that harmonious coexistence with dogs on public transit is possible. The city’s transit corporation did not record any cases of dog bites or substantiated complaints about soiling or damage caused by dogs during the more than two years of the pilot project. This positive experience has even convinced them to extend this access to buses: a pilot project will be implemented in 2026.
As you know, many of our fellow citizens in _________ (municipality) live with a dog. Therefore, I believe that our municipality and our public transit corporation should allow leashed dogs on our bus network.
The ban on dogs on buses particularly affects low-income individuals and those who do not have a vehicle. It also encourages car use. Allowing dogs on buses would encourage people to travel with their animals in a more environmentally friendly way.
This ban also restricts access to veterinary care, which can be detrimental to the health and welfare of dogs, in addition to limiting their access to green spaces. Allowing dogs on our city’s buses would give them more opportunities to exercise and socialize, which would contribute to the creation of a better socialized and well-trained canine population, resulting in increased public safety.
I hope I can count on your support,
[Your name]
