Pets on Amtrak - New Law in Congress

Looks like some bored congresscritters have decided not to work on the economy or healthcare, and have introduced a bill to allow pets on Amtrak. I like the idea for my dog, but he's really well trained. I enjoy training dogs and spend a lot of time on it. My neighbor, however, has an identical looking dog and it behaves terribly, growling and snarling at anything that moves.

And really, if Amtrak is primarily for either leisure travelers or business travelers, do we need to take our pets? I don't want to drag my dog on vacation.

Unless there are to be baggage car cages, is the conductor now the dog policeman?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/2 ... 20655.html

" So it is with cautious optimism that two members of the House of Representatives introduced legislation on Tuesday that would require Amtrak -– the government-subsidized rail system -– to allow passengers to travel with domesticated cats and dogs on certain trains."

VIA allows caged animals in baggage cars (with fee).

Not enough bagage cars on Amtrak, so wait till congress has bill to fund bagage cars and animal handlers on all trains ??
plus more operating funding to buy fuel for extra car.

As long as Amtrak gets some leeway and discretion on how to apply, I don't have a problem with this. Pets are allowed on many subway systems. And you very often see them being unruly, because if they're freaked out by the ride they'll be freaked out before they even reach the faregates, painfully obvious to all. The ones who do make it onboard (not just guide dogs...I've seen people with leashed cats, ferrets, etc. on the MBTA) are the ones well-conditioned for it. Public transit is its own form of natural selection for separating well-behaved animals from poorly-behaved.

Now, I get that long-distance trips can be a different deal but if this practice has been allowed with very few incidents for many decades on metro systems then the same guiding principle ought to work here. Amtrak just needs to have its butt covered with discretion to call for kennels when conditions warrant (even stuffing an emergency kennel onboard if there's a mid-trip situation), be able to quickly identify travel-unaccustomed pets likely to panic onboard, designate seats/cars to keep them away from passengers with allergies, and put liability on the pet owner. Done right this could be a big selling point, since airlines are such a pain that it's increasingly becoming a mode of last resort for traveling with pets.


I agree, though...this is a waste of Congress' time. This is something to do with an internal Amtrak directive. Doing it with a law is overkill.

Link to the actual text of the proposed bill: http://thehill.com/images/stories/blogs ... hr2066.pdf. The bill would simply require Amtrak to formulate a policy:

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, Amtrak shall propose
a pet policy that allows passengers to transport domes-
ticated cats or dogs on certain trains operated by Amtrak

I could see setting aside a coach for this purpose, since the animals would have to be contained in kennels, but even as a cat owner who occasionally wishes he could bring his cat along I wouldn't want to ride there. The baggage car is a no-go since the bill provides that the space has to be "temperature controlled." I don't believe the current cars are; what about the new baggage-dorms?

Mackensen wrote:The baggage car is a no-go since the bill provides that the space has to be "temperature controlled." I don't believe the current cars are?

That was Amtrak's public excuse for banning pets in Heritage baggage cars.

Tadman wrote:Looks like some bored congresscritters have decided not to work on the economy or healthcare, and have introduced a bill to allow pets on Amtrak. I like the idea for my dog, but he's really well trained. I enjoy training dogs and spend a lot of time on it. My neighbor, however, has an identical looking dog and it behaves terribly, growling and snarling at anything that moves.

And really, if Amtrak is primarily for either leisure travelers or business travelers, do we need to take our pets? I don't want to drag my dog on vacation.

Unless there are to be baggage car cages, is the conductor now the dog policeman?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/2 ... 20655.html

" So it is with cautious optimism that two members of the House of Representatives introduced legislation on Tuesday that would require Amtrak -– the government-subsidized rail system -– to allow passengers to travel with domesticated cats and dogs on certain trains."

Many people do want to take their pets with them on vacation. This is a rapidly growing trend and even major hotel chains now accept pets at a significant percentage of their properties, albeit often with a $50 to $100 extra fee per stay.

Ken W2KB wrote:

Tadman wrote:Looks like some bored congresscritters have decided not to work on the economy or healthcare, and have introduced a bill to allow pets on Amtrak. I like the idea for my dog, but he's really well trained. I enjoy training dogs and spend a lot of time on it. My neighbor, however, has an identical looking dog and it behaves terribly, growling and snarling at anything that moves.

And really, if Amtrak is primarily for either leisure travelers or business travelers, do we need to take our pets? I don't want to drag my dog on vacation.

Unless there are to be baggage car cages, is the conductor now the dog policeman?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/2 ... 20655.html

" So it is with cautious optimism that two members of the House of Representatives introduced legislation on Tuesday that would require Amtrak -– the government-subsidized rail system -– to allow passengers to travel with domesticated cats and dogs on certain trains."

Many people do want to take their pets with them on vacation. This is a rapidly growing trend and even major hotel chains now accept pets at a significant percentage of their properties, albeit often with a $50 to $100 extra fee per stay.

I assume the new bag/dorms have are temperature controlled. As long as the new baggage cars are climate controlled and there are provisions for equipment troubles and HEP loss (read limited liability for the loss of pets) I can see where this might make sense on certain trains. However, I hope Congress wants to fund new coaches to go along with this bill, because the trains that would probably benefit from this service wouldn't have baggage cars. You'd get the best benefit from the day tripper trains (Pennsylvanian, Vermonter, Heartland Flyer etc) and corridor trains (Keystone, VA services, Downeasters, Wolverines etc) where people won't need to walk their pets or feed them.

With the current fleet, tt would be hard to keep a designated coach for pet travel, particularly during disruptions.

ThirdRail7 wrote: I assume the new bag/dorms have are temperature controlled. As long as the new baggage cars are climate controlled and there are provisions for equipment troubles and HEP loss (read limited liability for the loss of pets) I can see where this might make sense on certain trains. However, I hope Congress wants to fund new coaches to go along with this bill, because the trains that would probably benefit from this service wouldn't have baggage cars. You'd get the best benefit from the day tripper trains (Pennsylvanian, Vermonter, Heartland Flyer etc) and corridor trains (Keystone, VA services, Downeasters, Wolverines etc) where people won't need to walk their pets or feed them.

With the current fleet, tt would be hard to keep a designated coach for pet travel, particularly during disruptions.

I assume this is one reason Congress is passing a law as opposed to simply having Amtrak change its rules. By doing it as a law, Congress can limit liability.

Originally Amtrak allowed dogs in sleepers. Maybe this was a hold-over rule from Pullman days. At some point (I don't remember when) they changed the rule and no longer allowed dogs even in sleeping car rooms. Does anyone know what led to that rule change? I am a dog owner, but I think allowing dogs would cause too many problems. Not only are many dogs poorly trained, but on long trips some arrangement would have to be made for the dogs to get out for a walk. And, I'm sure accidents would happen.I hope Congress comes to its senses but these days that seems like a forlorn hope.

Pets should be allowed in the baggage cars in travel kennels as long as a fare has been paid and they have their own tickets - much like cars in the car carriers on the Auto Train. The only animals that should be allowed with the passengers are registered guide and service dogs. How the pets in the baggage car are feed and provided water would have to be solved?

Greg Moore wrote:

ThirdRail7 wrote: I assume the new bag/dorms have are temperature controlled. As long as the new baggage cars are climate controlled and there are provisions for equipment troubles and HEP loss (read limited liability for the loss of pets) I can see where this might make sense on certain trains. However, I hope Congress wants to fund new coaches to go along with this bill, because the trains that would probably benefit from this service wouldn't have baggage cars. You'd get the best benefit from the day tripper trains (Pennsylvanian, Vermonter, Heartland Flyer etc) and corridor trains (Keystone, VA services, Downeasters, Wolverines etc) where people won't need to walk their pets or feed them.

With the current fleet, tt would be hard to keep a designated coach for pet travel, particularly during disruptions.

I assume this is one reason Congress is passing a law as opposed to simply having Amtrak change its rules. By doing it as a law, Congress can limit liability.

The Bill as presently drafted does not contain a limitation of liability provision. In any event, liability for the death of an animal has long been established by the courts as being the fair market value of the animal, I.e., the price at which it could be sold. So for the vast majority of pets, Amtrak's exposure is minimal. Moreover, the baggage limitation of liability in Amtrak's tarriff would apply as we'll, and Amtrak could add specific language to its tarriff if it desires to do so. No need for a statutory limitation of liability.

How good are Amtrak's internal lobbyists? "Sure, we would be happy to allow pets on board... for another thirty cars."

Most dog owners swear that their pets are well behaved. Even when they're just the opposite.

Allowing a Yorkshire terrier to travel in a Deluxe Bedroom would be irritating enough, if only because of the nervous yapping that small dogs tend to generate.

But allowing an uncaged Labrador, a Great Dane, or a Pit Bull with an unpredictable temper to ride in a crowded coach? That's quite something else.

What happens when two or more dogs -- especially males -- find themselves traveling in the same car?

Where and how will a dog (especially a large one) take a dump if the next station stop is hours away? In the aisle?

And what will be the impact when dogs regularly festoon seats and carpeting with fleas or Lyme-carrying ticks -- endangering passenger health and forcing Amtrak to take coaches or sleepers out of service?

Dogs on trains? Sure. Provided they're restricted to the baggage car -- and banned from the rest of the train.

--------------------------------------

I very highly doubt Amtrak would allow anything but animals enclosed in kennels, and then only on short, non-overnight routes. Commuter railroads and other transit services get away with this every day, heck I believe Metro North has no size restrictions and no kennel requirement, and they all do just fine. Sure, the ride is longer on Amtrak, even the "short" routes, but how long does flea exposure take? Tick exposure? Couldn't one of them have an accident just as easily as on Amtrak?