Pet parents everywhere celebrated when the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board announced in April 2019 that pets are allowed aboard Public Utility Vehicles. The catch? They should be put inside carriers or cages and placed at the "designated animal compartment." For most pet parents, that's a big no. In a memorandum signed on January 27 and made effective on February 10, the Board resolved this particular policy that "has received negative reactions from several animal advocates" by requiring that pets be placed "beside the passenger-owner."
Pet animals (such as cats and dogs) can now be loaded or transported on Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) under the following guidelines:
- If pet animals are to be loaded on mass transport such as PUB, PUJ, UV Express service, and Premium Point-to-Point Bus service, without having to compromise safety, health issues, and convenience of other passengers, said pet animals must be put in a cage or animal carrier free from foul odor;
- Passenger-owner must see to it that pets must wear animal diaper to maintain cleanliness and sanitation at all times during the journey;
- Dog sizes allowed in PUV must be from the range of small to medium-sized dogs. Those large and giant dogs shall not be allowed.
- Pets placed inside a carrier or cage must be beside the passenger-owner and must pay the corresponding fare in an amount the same as that of the paying passenger-owner per seat occupied.
Now, your furbabies don't have to be left behind all the time!
