All paws aboard! Dogs are now allowed on the Montreal metro under certain conditions

Montreal's public transit organization (STM) launched a pilot project on Saturday that allows dogs to travel on metro trains under certain conditions.

Owners can now enter the metro with their pets for the next nine months -- the duration of the pilot project -- but only outside rush hour on weekdays, weekends and holidays.

The STM requires that dogs be muzzled throughout the trip, in addition to being kept on a leash. Owners will also be required to pick up and clean up any messes their dogs leave behind and prevent their dogs from climbing onto seats and benches.

With the project, the STM hopes to verify the impact of the arrival of dogs in the metro before making a final decision on the matter. When the time comes, it will base its final decision on the safety of customers and employees, the cleanliness of the facilities, maintenance needs and the appreciation of the experience by users.

Before the pilot project came into effect on Saturday, pets were only allowed on buses and the metro if they were in a cage or carrier bag. Since the pilot project only covers the metro, this rule still applies to buses.

The initiative, announced last month, was implemented in partnership with the Montreal SPCA, which had circulated a petition to push the STM to accept dogs. More than 18,000 people signed the document.

On its website, the SPCA has also set up a question-and-answer section to answer questions from owners who would like more details before going directly to the metro with their dog.

Dogs on a leash are allowed in many metro systems around the world, including Paris, London, Calgary and Toronto, but only under certain conditions.

This report by the Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 15, 2022.