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Will animals on buses be a pet peeve? – Metro US

Will animals on buses be a pet peeve?

david gonczol for metro ottawa

Sarah Jane Cuff hopes that one day Sparkles, her Yorkshire Terrier, can accompany her when she travels on OC Transpo buses. Cuff is a director with the National Capital Coalition for People and Dogs group that is petitioning the city to allow pets on public transit.

Everybody loves a cute critter, but city transit riders have mixed feelings about sharing their commutes with Fido and Fifi.

“I definitely think they should be allowed,” said Jody Halfpenny, as she waited for a bus at Metcalfe and Albert streets yesterday. Halfpenny, who has four cats, takes a cab whenever she must travel with her animals and would like to bring them aboard a bus.

But not so fast, says commuter Lisa Bumbala. “I’m a pet lover, but some pets are not social and there are people with extreme allergies,” she said.

The debate is sure to rage as a campaign by the National Capital Coalition for People and Dogs (NCCPD) to permit pets on public transit picks up steam.

“We’re thinking of senior citizens, disabled people, people who don’t have a car and rely on public transportation,” said pet owner and coalition board member, Sarah Jane Cuff.

Cuff said she’s gotten only positive feedback about the idea of bringing pets aboard OC Transpo buses. Most major cities in Canada already allow small animals on public transit when leashed or caged. But OC Transpo only allows seeing-eye dogs aboard.

Cuff doesn’t see a problem. If a dog started barking non-stop, or someone had allergies, owners should have the courtesy to step off and wait for the next bus, she said.

However, Kanata’s Greg Lague is willing to ride with pets during off-peak hours, but rush-hour rides would be too hectic. “There are people with briefcases and students with backpacks. Sometimes it’s crowded enough … as it is without some Marmaduke-type dog.”