Washington -- Dog and cat owners of America, rejoice: A
five-year highway appropriations bill that Congress reportedly agreed to on
Tuesday instructs Amtrak to develop a policy allowing pets on passenger trains.
The provision, tucked into page 877 of a 1,300-page bill,
would create a pilot program for the government-subsidized rail system.
According to the legislation, Amtrak will have to dedicate at least one car per
train “in which a ticketed passenger may transport a domesticated cat or dog in
the same manner as a carry-on baggage.”
There are some restrictions.
The dog or cat would have to be “contained in a pet kennel”
that complies with Amtrak size requirements for carry-on bags. The passenger
transporting the pet will have to pay a fee, which would offset Amtrak's cost
of accommodating pets. The authors of the bill made clear that “no federal
funds may be used to implement the pilot program.” The government is facing a
debt crisis, after all.
To read more on this story, click here: Dogs Get Their Day:Amtrak To Be Required To Allow Pets On Trains
