New push for pets to join their owners on NSW public transport
Sydney’s booming number of pet owners should be met with an overhaul of the rules currently barring them from travelling on our public transport, advocates say.
NSW
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Sydney’s booming number of pet owners should be met with an overhaul of the rules currently barring them from travelling on our public transport, advocates say.
Under current rules by Transport NSW, pets which aren’t deemed assistance animals aren’t allowed on trains or the Metro, while they can travel on buses or the Light Rail but only if approved by the driver.
With pet ownership spiking in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic – a 2021 survey by Animal Medicines Australia found 69 per cent of Aussie households now own a pet – calls are growing for rules on public transport to catch up.
Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst said the growing number of pet owners meant changes to the law were overdue.
“Australia is a nation of animal lovers and most families have a companion animal as a family member. At the same time our society is far less animal friendly than many other places around the world,” she said.
“There are many animal welfare benefits of allowing animals on public transport. Many people don‘t have cars, but then getting animals to vet appointments or dog parks can be difficult. This is particularly problematic for older individuals or people with a disability.”
Kings Cross resident Katie Wheatley is one of the many pet owners who said she’d like to see a change, a year after she adopted her rescue dog Bella.
She moved to her current home from the Eastern Suburbs after adopting her pooch partly due to concerns over taking her canine companion on public transport.
While she sometimes travels on buses with Bella, there are plenty of times drivers have declined to let the duo on.
“(Changed public transport laws) would help so much.
“ A lot of places in Sydney are dog friendly now like pubs, cafes and parks, but it doesn’t make a difference if you can’t get your dog there,” she said.
“I used to live in New York and over there dogs are everywhere and it doesn’t seem to bother anyone. It’s the next obvious thing for Sydney to do.”
City of Sydney Councillor Yvonne Weldon, who campaigned on a platform urging transport bodies and businesses to become more pet-friendly, said any changes would make a big difference particularly to pet owners who were otherwise left isolated by their lack of travel options.
The NSW Government in 2021 changed blanket bans on animals living in apartments, while NSW Labor pledged this month to make it easier for renters to have a pet with a new form requiring a property’s owners response to an application for a pet within 21 days.
“The state government is changing access for pet owners with strata and the like but there has to be so much more,” she said.
A Transport NSW spokesman said “there are currently no plans for a trial allowing pets on Sydney Trains and Sydney Metro services”.
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