Dogs on Amtrak need a doctor's note
 

A friend who recently took her Maltese on an Amtrak train told me this story and I thought I'd pass it along to you all. Apparently dogs aren't permitted on Amtrak except perhaps for seeing-eye dogs, and my friend's little Maltese was definitely not one of those. The train conductor told my friend that he'd let her slide this time, but on future train trips she might not encounter another dog-loving conductor. So he recommended that she get a doctor's note which claimed that she needed her dog with her when travelling for "emotional reassurance"! Which she did, she has a family member who's a doc who was happy to oblige. I thought this was funny but a bit ridiculous. Anyone have a funny pet travel story to share?

This woman brought the dog on the train into the passenger area? I thought that when travelling, pets were supposed to be put in carriers and ride in a special area. <BR><BR>

J, I'm not sure if she had a pet carrier or not, but she definitely took her dog into the passenger area. A Maltese is such a little dog, definitely of the lap variety, so I'm sure it didn't bother any other passengers. Personally I always love it when I see pets on the plane (or train). I'm an animal lover and it makes the trip much nicer when critters are aboard, for me anyway! Someone told me that airlines have an unofficial rulw that they'll allow one animal in a carrier in the passenger cabin. I've seen a few animals myself on people's laps, dogs and cats, and it always seems to encourage conversation and make people friendly.

What about people with allergies? I'm curious how trains/planes handle this concern.

Elfie: My nephew has such severe asthma that being couped up with a dog on a train might possibly kill him. But, hey, what the hell, as long as people become friendlier around animals, huh?

Y: that's tough about your nephew, but since it isn't the dog's fault or my fault, what's with the hostility? This forum is becoming nastier every day. It's really a shame.

Hey J- this doesn't answer your question about people who are allergic to dogs but...<BR>I have such a severe allergy to cats that my doctor has told me under no circumstances should I be around them, and has given me a prescription for an Epi-pen (no love lost, I am a dog person anyways). I was talking with one of the other nurses I work with about cats on planes, I think they shouldn't be allowed, etc....and he told me about his daughters' nut allergy which is extremely severe and she can not even be around nuts whatsoever because the oils become airborne and could never fly because of the peanuts that USEd to be passed around (now you are lucky if you can get an ice cube). I guess my point is many people are allergic to many things and if you think you might be exposed to something you are allergic to, you should take the precautions necessary to minimize your reaction to the offending substance.

I agree with J & Y. Animals should be banned from public transportation. There are paying customers that may have allergic reactions to animal hair. Get over yourself with the emotional reassurance bullsh*t.

Because everyone is so self-absorbed, that's why I'm angry! God forbid your friend not follow the rules just because she has to have Mitsy/Bitsy/Foo-Foo sit on her lap! <BR>And if my nephew was on that train, & got sick it WOULD be the dog's fault, your friend's fault and the conductor's fault. <BR>I'm mad and tired of those that don't think rules or regulations apply to them.<BR>

Hey 'y', chill out. I understand your position on people following the rules and regulations, but it's not Elfie's fault. No reason to snap at her.

I like animals too, but I'm not sure that I would be happy about sitting next to a dog on a train. Train rides are long and the cars are a confined space. Dogs bark. Little dogs yap. All dogs pee and poop.

Y: Calm down, ok? You seem to have a lot of misdirected rage, do you really think shrieking at strangers on a message board is helpful? Not to belabor this silly issue but my friend didn't know she was breaking the rules by bringing her dog with her, it was an innocent mistake. She's a nice person, she wasn't carrying Anthrax spores. <BR><BR>It's times like this I really appreciate going home to my own animals. Which I'm also allergic to, but I deal with it & take meds for it. Lighten up people.

I am allergic to screaming harpies.So get off of this board Y!

I think that the reason people tend to get worked up over issues concerning dogs on vacation is that there are a lot of dog owners who are very inconsiderate of others. I'm not saying that this is the case with your friend, just that the dog owners who are inconsiderate make people very wary of anyone bringing a dog on vacation with them. Fro example, I cringe everytime I see a dog running along the beach because there are many dog owners who don't clean up after their dogs and there is nothing worse than stepping or sitting in dog poop.

I live in Brussels (Belgium) and find it extremely odd that although dogs (and other animals) are allowed on all forms of (ground) mass transit--subways, trains, buses, etc.--we don't have problems with these allergic attacks. Yet I don't think Europeans have an allergy incidence any lower than Americans. <BR>At any rate, on a plane, people with severe pet allergies are far more likely to have a reaction to pet fur/dander carried on another passenger's clothes in a seat near them than they are with a live animal stowed under a seat several rows away.<BR>FYI, we travel everywhere in Europe (on trains, trams, or in a car) with our dog. No one has ever raised an objection and many people are happy to see a pet on board, if the big smiles we get from fellow passengers are any indication.

BTilke,<BR>although I have not seen that many pets on trains here or on public transportation I have yet to see anyone have a reaction either. It seems to be more hysteria than fact.

I love dogs .. and cats.<BR><BR>Cooked properly, they are not bad at all! To heck with Amtrak food, get out the hotplate!

If you are so sensitive that you are prone to an attack by smelling peanut dust or the dander of a cat, then maybe using public forms of transport are not the best way for you to get around.

BTilke - You are right. I am allergic to dogs and severely allergic to cats. If I'm in someone's house and they have a cat, after 5 minutes I get an awful asthma attack and need to leave, and I'm sick for several days afterwards. However...I can ride a bus or plane for hours with a pet in a carrier across the aisle from me, and not even sniffle. It's the DANDER that causes the allergies. A 2-4 hour trip is not long enough for an animal to shed that much dander! <BR><BR>What's really offensive, though, is the people who wear too much damned perfume! This is what makes me physically ill on planes. {bitch bitch, moan moan}

If a dog, cat, giraffe, kid or mother-in-law is well behaved and does not pee, poop, yap or kick my seat, I personally do not care where they ride. I do realize that allergies can be a problem, but those who are that highly sensitive to animal allergens probably have lots of problems in lots of places.<BR><BR>I do object to trying to fake any animal as a "service animal". This seems somewhat insensitive to those who genuinely use animals (usually dogs) to help with a disability. Does anyone remember the "service pig" that got loose on a flight (Delta?) about a year ago?