Press release – For immediate release
Montréal, December 2, 2021 – With the launch of its Fido on the Metro campaign today, the Montreal SPCA is inviting the public to urge Mayor Valérie Plante and the chairman of the board of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Eric Alan Caldwell, to allow leashed dogs in the city’s public transportation system. During the animal protection electoral debate organized by the Montreal SPCA, Projet Montréal committed to implementing a pilot project that would allow leashed dogs in the STM system.
“Today, we are asking Valérie Plante and her teamto keep their promise and take the necessary steps to allow leashed dogs in the STM system,” explains Me Sophie Gaillard, Director of Animal Advocacy and Legal Affairs at the Montreal SPCA. “We encourage Montrealers to sign the petition on our website”
Paris, London, Berlin, Barcelona and San Francisco are among the many large cities to welcome dogs on leash in public transportation, just like the two major Canadian cities of Calgary and Toronto. In Montréal, however, only service dogs and dogs small enough to travel in a bag or carrier are allowed in public transit.
Not only does this greatly restrict dogs’ access to large parks and green spaces, it is also an obstacle to receiving veterinary care. Furthermore, the prohibition on dogs in public transit disproportionately affects low-income Montrealers or those who choose not to have a car for environmental reasons.
“The use of public transportation is being encouraged now more than ever, but the sysetm should be modernized to accommodate all users, including those with dogs,” says Me Gaillard.
The experience in other large cities that allow dogs in their transit systems demonstrates that it is entirely possible to accommodate all transit users—those with and without dogs. In Toronto, dogs on leash are only allowed during off-peak hours, while Madrid lets dogs board only the last subway car. The Ville de Montréal and the STM could draw inspiration from the policies in place elsewhere to find a win-win scenario to give people and their dogs access to public transit while also being respectful of other users’ needs.
A study in Toronto revealed the leashed dog pilot project had had no impact on the overall satisfaction of users, nor did it increase the risk of incidents.
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Source: Montréal SPCA
Media contact:
Laurence Massé
Director of Communications & Philanthropic Development
514-656-2760
lmasse@spca.com
About the Montreal SPCA – Founded in 1869, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now known simply as the Montreal SPCA) was the first animal-welfare organization in Canada. Today, the Montreal SPCA is the largest animal protection organization in Quebec, speaking on behalf of animals wherever there is ignorance, cruelty, exploitation, or neglect.
