Guest blog: Where I go, my dog Percy comes too. There are two reasons for this. The first is that Percy doesn't do well when separated from me. It's a trait of his breed. However, while he wouldn’t be happy, it wouldn't damage him irrevocably to stay in a nice kennel for a couple of days, which brings me to the second reason - the lack of dog boarding facilities within easy reach of Wellington city.
I have come to the conclusion that I must be the only dog owner without a car in Wellington. It makes sense that most kennels are out of the city, in the Hutt or up the coast, where there's more room and presumably appropriate council zoning.
Some kennels offer a transport option, but it only pushes the bill higher. Home boarding in the city is even more expensive. By and large, it would be cheaper for me to stay somewhere than it is for my dog - I don't object to backpacker accommodation. (Mind you, I don't require walking or feeding.)
So, hence, where I go, so too does Percy.
This was much easier when we lived in New South Wales. As long as Percy was in a crate, he was allowed on not only long-distance trains, but Sydney city buses too. And we made use of them on several occasions. It’s not as though public transport there is overrun with animals - chickens in wicker baskets, dogs left, right and centre. Besides Percy, I actually never saw another animal on a bus or train. Lots of surfboards, but not many dogs.
But dogs, except for service dogs, are not welcome on any form of public transport in New Zealand, which seems vexing. It's not as though I'm looking to transport an Alsatian (lovely dogs, but large). I don't think taking one of those in a crate on a bus is practical.
Despite hunting for travel alternatives, when it comes to trips out of town I have one choice: Percy and I have to fly. This makes visiting friends and family for a weekend somewhat out of my budget. As anyone who wants to fly to small airports knows, airfares are not cheap and there's only one option. Air New Zealand.
At the end of last year, Air New Zealand put up their pet transport fees. Not by 10 or 20 per cent, but by 50 per cent, so a $50 fee for an animal and crate became a $75 fee. (For dogs up to 25kg.)
Okay, so I find that pricy enough, but that's not the end of the story. While I have to pay the $75 one-way fee for Percy, he also counts as my luggage, so any further bags attract an excess baggage fee. I can't help but feel that pet owners are being slightly cheated in this deal.
Of course, it's my choice to have a pet and wear the costs that come with it. But why is it so much cheaper and more convenient to do so in Australia than New Zealand? What is so special about their public transport?
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I totally agree! NZ public places are not pet friendly at all. I get that some people out there don't like dogs like I do, but it borderlines on near impossible to walk the dogs down the street and sit outside a cafe without getting dirty looks.
I don't know the answer to your question. However (but!) I've found my attitude to dogs' access to public places (including public transport) has changed since a dog joined our family nearly a year ago. We'd had a dog before, and found it very inconvenient visitng public places (we were paged when we had to leave our dog in a Chch supermarket carpark, and he started crying - not because he was suffering, but because he missed us. Damned do-gooders...). Since then, we've travelled extensively. While we found the dog faeces all over the place in Paris unpleasant, and dogs with their owners in restaurants, cafes, buses, trains, etc. a bit strange, we actually now envy them their freedom. Aside from city streets and a few outdoor areas in cafes, we're effectively banned from our well-behaved dog accompanying us anywhere. Years ago, our previous dog had to stay in the garage of our (sold) house while we were in a motel, and in the car on the inter-island ferry, both very distressing for him. Our new dog is such a part of the family that all our plans include him. A more relaxed / enlightened official attitude to access would certainly help!
While visiting europe one of the things I noticed was the number of people taking all manner of pets on the public transport. In NZ it is common for people to take their dogs in the car to a park for an off leash run. In european cities public transport is the norm rather than in NZ where the vast majority of people own cars. So when they wanted to take their dogs for a run in the park they went on the train. The dogs themselves were amazingly trained and without fail all of them automatically went and lay under the owners seat out of the way. Quite often I wouldn't realise a dog was there until they got off the train.
However they do seem to have a different attitude towards pets in general in europe. It is also normal to take your dog to the local shopping mall. I think anywhere where a large enough percentage of the population doesn't own a car will be more accepting towards pets on public transport.
This all sounds a bit whiny to me
Totally agree. The lack of pet friendly transport in NZ is appalling, as is the restrictions on taking them into restaurants, cafes etc.I would love to Fly to visit friends and relatives, but there is no way I would put my dog in a crate in the baggage compartment. I have been on a plane with a dog in the baggage compartment (not mine) and the dog was terrified and constantly barked. If he was in the main cabin, there he could be reassured and calmed down and therefore less noisy. In my car he travels on the passenger seat (with a seat belt). To use the ferries, he has to be either left in the car (you're not supposed to do that in normal circumstances so why on the ferry) or put into one of their cages and you are not allowed near them - not good. Buses and trains do not allow dogs on board either. My dog is a member of the family. My dog is also far better behaved than most children and definitely cleaner. As a person who is concerned about the environment I would happily use public transport - but they don't seem to want my custom.
The baggage is because there are a limited amount of flights and cargo space (yes they do fly cargo on NZ domestic passenger flights) so your dog + suitcase is taking up space and weight that could have been sold as cargo space. If you want to gt away without paying more, buy a fare that allows you to take more than one bag or pay the extra - it's what I have to do when travelling with work stuff that requires more than one bag.
Up until a couple of years ago, my dog went everywhere with me.
Luckily, I have a car...so travel itself was easy. She has her own special doggy seat belt, and happily jumps in the back to be buckled in. And I had a great pet accomodation guide book, so if I wasn't staying with friends, or pet friendly people, I could book into pet friendly accomodation easily. Travelling with Tequila is like travelling with a child, she has her own luggage: 1 Bag containing her food, bowls, lead and small snuggly blankie, then she has her bed blankie (queen sized mink blankie), which must be lugged around. Flying with her would be impossible!
These days, she gets a doggysitter. Do you not have any dog friendly friends Ann? that could stay with Percy at your place. The he can keep all the comforts of home, and maybe be a little less anxious of the separation?
NZ is not pet-friendly. I have a 5year old black Labrador who is part of our family, and office 'staff'. We plan our travel to include pet-stops and stays and, although improving, it's often difficult to find good dog-friendly parks, accommodation and cafes. Book-A-Bach and a search of enroute city/local councils websites are a great place to start.
I would love to take our dog out more often but she hates being in the car - she must only associate it with the annual trip to the vets..After about 5 minutes the whining starts and she is getting very distressed.
Yay! It's Ann! I've missed you!! Thankfully I've never had to travel far with my dog.. I have a car, so if we go somewhere I use the car (live in the country so no public transport anyway :() I don't see why animals can't go on public transport in a crate, I can't see any harm it would do! Percy is your baggage? If you are paying for him to travel, I can't see why you should have to pay extra for your bags as well as your dog!
Hope you and Percy are well :)