Pets on Board

Reading about the furore caused by a supposed service dog on HAL made me wonder why people took their pets on board. Are they people who simply can't bear to be apart from Fido or Felix or are they simply transporting them to the other side of the Atlantic? How do they take them home? Do they do a back-to-back or fly?

 

Would love to know.

How they handle the airline part is their problem. An increasing number of people are buying vests and saddles identifying their animal as a "Therapy Dog" or whatever to get around restrictions on pets. The situation you describe shows how this is getting abused. (People do this in New York in order to bring their dogs into food stores and restaurants, and not to have to crate them on the subway.)

 

What will happen eventually is that some kind of official certification will be needed to identify legitimate service animals. It will only put more of a burden on those with real physical needs and all thanks to the people who abused the current system.

...

What will happen eventually is that some kind of official certification will be needed to identify legitimate service animals. ...

According to a recent article in The New Yorker about "companion/comfort" animal excesses, the Americans with Disabilities Act says that you may ask only two questions about a service animal: "Is this animal required because of a disability?" (But you can't ask about the disability.) And "What tasks has this animal been trained to do?"

 

Obviously, all the frou-frou purse pooches and their ilk fail the second question.

Thanks for replies. I'm actually referring to Fido and Felix who are housed in the kennels on the QM2. I assume they are pets and not service dogs, so hence my original questions.

Thanks for replies. I'm actually referring to Fido and Felix who are housed in the kennels on the QM2. I assume they are pets and not service dogs, so hence my original questions.

 

There's no comparison. Dogs and cats in the kennel on QM2 are limited to the kennel. Their owners visit them there and they are limited to a small deck area immediately adjacent to the kennel. Many people do this because they will be away for an extended period of time so they take Fido or Felix along. There's a lot of preparation and required documentation and the kennels sell out within an hour of booking opening up. (I'm waiting for somebody with a dog or cat to whine that Cunard "forces" them to pay full brochure fare.)

 

The HAL story involved a household pet which the passenger claimed to be a service animal so it could be allowed the run of the ship.

Edited December 11, 2014 by BlueRiband

The kennels on QM2 are also only available on transatlantics. You can't book them on a closed loop cruise, for example (but I guess someone could book kennels on back-to-back transatlantics).

Edited December 11, 2014 by Underwatr

... I guess someone could book kennels on back-to-back transatlantics.

Yes you can. We gave our cat a ride over and back in 2006. We couldn't afford to do it now because not only have the kennel fees increased, but also now cat owners must pay for two cages - one for the cat and the other for the litter box.

Yes you can. We gave our cat a ride over and back in 2006.

 

Is that why your cat in your picture is wearing a life-jacket ?:)

Yes you can. We gave our cat a ride over and back in 2006. We couldn't afford to do it now because not only have the kennel fees increased, but also now cat owners must pay for two cages - one for the cat and the other for the litter box.

 

So for whose benefit did you do this? Can't be the cat surely.

 

David.

Is that why your cat in your picture is wearing a life-jacket ?:)

Yes, Sebastian's life jacket was the smallest size the kennel man had.

So for whose benefit did you do this? Can't be the cat surely.

 

David.

Don't be so sure about that. Our cat required medication twice a day and had a special diet - both extra cost items when boarding him which we provided at no extra cost on board. In 2006 it cost $300. each way to take him with us, and that was cheaper than boarding him. He seemed to be himself on board. He did not like being on deck at noon when the whistles were tested, but otherwise he was fine. Google "Sebastian at sea" to read all about his adventure.

just sick curiousity i guess but where do dogs do their little presents on a cruise ship :eek:

just sick curiousity i guess but where do dogs do their little presents on a cruise ship :eek:

 

On the deck, the butler cleans it up.

 

David.

On the deck, the butler cleans it up. David.

I have observed that the "Deck 12" suite has some of the most attentive "butlers" on board, whenever I've looked over the rails surrounding the "balcony" ;)