The Times: A QM2 crossing with a guide dog

[Pushpit]

An interesting story in Monday's issue of The Times, featuring Toby the guide dog on a QM2 crossing to New York.

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-couldnt-cruise-without-my-guide-dog-he-loves-it-too-b2qmkcvgk

 

It was a honeymoon trip for a recently married older couple, one of whom was in the merchant navy but has been blind for 40 years. Toby is a lab-golden retriever cross and as a working dog was allowed in their stateroom and accompanied them through much of the crossing. One quote from the story I enjoyed:

 

“He (Toby) slept with us in the cabin, and although he didn’t have a bed he just loved the carpets, as they were so comfortable,” McInulty says. “He probably came back and thought our carpets were a bit threadbare. What did surprise me was that he had his own life jacket — that hadn’t crossed my mind; fortunately he didn’t need it.”

 

[exlondoner]

Yes, it was a lovely account. But I’m so glad I wasn’t the next person in a cabin where a dog had been sleeping on the carpet, lovely as no doubt the dog was.

[Host Hattie]

What a lovely article, thanks for posting it. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

11 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Yes, it was a lovely account. But I’m so glad I wasn’t the next person in a cabin where a dog had been sleeping on the carpet, lovely as no doubt the dog was.

 

That wouldn't bother me, as I'm used to dogs--my family all have multiple dogs as large as Toby. Anyway, I'm sure the cabin is thoroughly cleaned in case the next occupant has allergies. 

 

The reference to Bonios brought back memories. My Airedale was quite fond of them. 

Edited November 17, 2023 by 3rdGenCunarder

[exlondoner]

12 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

That wouldn't bother me, as I'm used to dogs--my family all have multiple dogs as large as Toby. Anyway, I'm sure the cabin is thoroughly cleaned in case the next occupant has allergies. 

 

The reference to Bonios brought back memories. My Airedale was quite fond of them. 

I’m sure it is, but as one who deeply dislikes dogs, I really would not like the thought of it. 

[missson1967]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

I’m sure it is, but as one who deeply dislikes dogs, I really would not like the thought of it. 

I do hope that you never require an assistance dog. In my opinion, they are probably the most loving and essential animals on earth.

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, missson1967 said:

I do hope that you never require an assistance dog. In my opinion, they are probably the most loving and essential animals on earth.

I couldn’t agree more. They are wonderful. But I myself am far too frightened of dogs to be able think of having one should it be necessary, which like you, I hope doesn’t happen.

[mat5664]

Lovely story and great that people are able to enjoy their cruise with their assistance dog.  I'm sure most of the passengers enjoyed having him around also.

[IB2]

The real issue is that, whereas in the past Cunard has adopted the strict British approach to service dogs, allowing only those fully certified for genuine and significant medical reasons, since the pandemic they’ve become a lot more lax and started to allow American ‘fake’ service and support dogs to stay in the cabins, some of which are simply owners telling porkies so that they can avoid the kennels.  Which isn’t really sensible, unless they wish to review their policy toward more dog friendly travel more generally, in which case they should dedicate a particular set of adjacent cabins for that purpose.

[exlondoner]

39 minutes ago, IB2 said:

The real issue is that, whereas in the past Cunard has adopted the strict British approach to service dogs, allowing only those fully certified for genuine and significant medical reasons, since the pandemic they’ve become a lot more lax and started to allow American ‘fake’ service and support dogs to stay in the cabins, some of which are simply owners telling porkies so that they can avoid the kennels.  Which isn’t really sensible, unless they wish to review their policy toward more dog friendly travel more generally, in which case they should dedicate a particular set of adjacent cabins for that purpose.

And warn the rest of us. I think I remember someone claiming they had seen a support dog in the KC. Eeek.

[neeuqdrazil]

21 hours ago, exlondoner said:

And warn the rest of us. I think I remember someone claiming they had seen a support dog in the KC. Eeek.

 

Hopefully you don't mean a service dog. They are allowed everywhere their person is, by law. And well trained service dogs (which licensed service dogs all are) are almost certainly better behaved than most children. 

[exlondoner]

37 minutes ago, neeuqdrazil said:

 

Hopefully you don't mean a service dog. They are allowed everywhere their person is, by law. And well trained service dogs (which licensed service dogs all are) are almost certainly better behaved than most children. 

Which jurisdiction are you referring to? Personally I have never been bitten by a child I didn’t know nor knocked to the ground by one.

[neeuqdrazil]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

Which jurisdiction are you referring to? Personally I have never been bitten by a child I didn’t know nor knocked to the ground by one.

 

In Canada, the UK, and the US, assistance dogs (not emotional support dogs) are by law allowed with their person into public spaces, including restaurants, shops, hospitals, and public transport. (Info for the UK found here: https://julius-k9.co.uk/blog/uk-law-assistance-dogs-and-emotional-support-animals; US information here: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/; Canada information here (regulations differ by province): https://www.supportdogcertification.org/article/service-dog-certification-and-regulations-canada) 

 

These dogs are well trained, and would never be allowed into service if they were at risk for biting or knocking someone down. 

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, neeuqdrazil said:

 

In Canada, the UK, and the US, assistance dogs (not emotional support dogs) are by law allowed with their person into public spaces, including restaurants, shops, hospitals, and public transport. (Info for the UK found here: https://julius-k9.co.uk/blog/uk-law-assistance-dogs-and-emotional-support-animals; US information here: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/; Canada information here (regulations differ by province): https://www.supportdogcertification.org/article/service-dog-certification-and-regulations-canada) 

 

These dogs are well trained, and would never be allowed into service if they were at risk for biting or knocking someone down. 

Well, I can’t comment on the actual incident in KC, as I have only read about it and it was a long while ago, but from what I recall, it was behaving less than perfectly, and was being fed from/at the table. As you imply, it was probably an ‘emotional support dog’. Frankly, I would never trust any dog, but that is not really the issue, much more it was the discomfort and unhappiness of a considerable number of other KC users. 🙂

[neeuqdrazil]

Whereas, the last time I was aboard QM2, there was a blind woman with her service dog, and that dog was perfectly behaved - laid under the table while she ate, led her around without issue, and was generally what you expect from a service animal. 

[IB2]

30 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Well, I can’t comment on the actual incident in KC, as I have only read about it and it was a long while ago, but from what I recall, it was behaving less than perfectly, and was being fed from/at the table. As you imply, it was probably an ‘emotional support dog’. Frankly, I would never trust any dog, but that is not really the issue, much more it was the discomfort and unhappiness of a considerable number of other KC users. 🙂

That was my point.  When I first took my dog on the QM2 before the pandemic, I knew that they were extremely strict about service dogs, only allowing those properly registered as per the various national rules someone has posted above.

 

On my last trip last year, it was obvious they were allowing support dogs.  Indeed on my outward crossing there was an American guy with two dogs in the kennels, who spent the crossing moaning about an American woman with a dog wandering around KC.  Remarkably when I did my return crossing some months later, the very same guy was on the ship again, but this time with his two dogs in the cabin, as he'd managed to copy the lady he was complaining about and register them as support dogs.  He'd told me enough about himself on the earlier crossing to establish that there is no way he needed a support dog.

 

Travelling around the US with my dog, being shut out of most places as he's not a support or service dog, I have lost count of the number of American dog owners who have told me how easy it is in the US to register your dog as support, or just to buy a harness off eBay and pretend that it is service or support, and about how American business owners are pretty limited under US law in what questions or challenges they can make.  So the US has this weird - and illogical - mix of generally dog-unfriendly rules compared to Europe, yet lots of 'fake' support dogs whose owners get away with taking them into here, there and everywhere.  So 'genuine' rule-following dog owners aren't happy, and people who don't want dogs going into places for whatever reason aren't getting what they want either.

 

Why Cunard has given in to the support dogs, I don't know, but can guess given its financial position coming out of the pandemic.

Edited November 29, 2023 by IB2