Local group pushes for dogs to be permitted on LRTs

Dog Friendly KW (DFKW) is hoping for a “paws”-itive change on LRTs by later this year.

The nonprofit organization has launched a petition for dogs to be permitted on the public transit system. DFKW is hoping to distribute the petition to regional council in August.

Co-Founder and Director Justine Sparling told CityNews the project is about accessible and sustainable transportation.

“As we grow as a city and we continue to develop our urban centres, there continues to be less access to parking,” she said. “There are a lot of condo buildings or apartment buildings that don’t even have access to parking.”

The change would also help dog owners who can’t afford a car.

“They’re not even able to get their pet to a vet or a grooming appointment without spending an unreasonable amount on a taxi there or on an Uber ride,” she said.

Toronto, Calgary and Montreal are currently operating dog friendly public transit programs. Currently in Waterloo Region, only pets that are small enough to fit in portable crates are allowed on the LRT.

“From an economic development perspective it would be incredibly advantageous for us to increase access to the spaces for dog owners,” she said, noting that DFKW has done some mapping of all the dog friendly businesses along the LRT line.

Sparling said she’s received many “very polite, wonderful emails” from people sharing their concerns about dogs being allowed to share the space.

She added, “I think hearing from those folks in the community is really important because obviously this would increase access to transportation for dog owners but we don’t want to minimize what that experience or that change might look like for folks who are afraid of dogs or folks who are allergic to dogs.”

DFKW has been actively reaching out to community groups to learn about what would help them feel comfortable. She recently sent an email to a large national organization that does a lot of research and education in the allergy space.

“My hope is to get some really concrete evidence from them in terms of how do we make sure folks with really bad allergies who are sharing space with dogs on an LRT, how do we make sure those folks are safe,” Sparling said.

DFKW is hoping for 10,000 signatures over the next couple months. They will be campaigning at all their events.

To learn more about the campaign and the petition, visit DFKW’s website at dogfriendlykw.com.