You barked, they listened, BC Ferries said.
BC Ferries has announced a new pilot project that will permit pets more freedom on board for one of its routes.
For the next three month, dogs and cats are now allowed on the upper-outside decks on a BC Ferries’ Sunshine Coast (Earls Cove) to Power River (Saltery Bay) route aboard the Malaspina Sky under the pilot program.
The trial launched las Wednesday, and BC Ferries hinted that they may extend the test to other routes, pending feedback from customers.
“Plans to expand to other routes will depend on ‘pawsitive’ customer feedback,” BC Ferries staff said in a release.
Currently, BC Ferries’ pet policy requires dogs and cats to be confined to vehicles or in the designated Pet Area.
As part of the project, owners must keep dogs on a leash and cats must be in a travel carrier while on the outer decks. Customers are limited to two dogs per passenger.
“Waste bags and water bowls will be provided, and the area will be routinely cleaned,” said BC Ferries.
According to BC Ferries, there’s been an increase of passengers travelling with pets in recent years from 5.5% in 2018 to 13.7% in 2020.
