Thank you.
I'll start by saying a bit about allergy. It's believed that about 30% of Canadians are allergic in one way or another. Although I don't think we have exact figures, maybe 10% of those are allergic to pets in varying degrees. It tends to be pet dander and saliva that cause problems and the pet dander can float in the air. It's light, people breathe it in, and it can lead to symptoms in their nose, eyes, or lungs, if they have asthma. I think it's admittedly difficult to predict the seriousness of a reaction in advance, because it can really vary from person to person, and even within the same person at different times. There can be coexisting factors that occur, whether they're reacting to other allergies, other triggers, have a cold, and so on.
People who do avoid pets tend to believe that the policy of allowing them in the cabin restricts their mobility rights and imposes undue obstacles for them when they're travelling. I'll run through some of the concerns that we have heard.
They fear having a reaction in the air, where they can't leave the premises, where they're stuck on the plane, and where they may not be able to get medical help if it's needed.
They're also uncertain as to what to expect in advance. They don't know when they leave whether or not they're going to unexpectedly have a little pet sitting next to them. Some of them have said that when they do fly, when there is a pet seated next to them, their request to change seats is not honoured; they're not able to get an alternative spot on the plane. They know that after the pets leave the planes, a lot of the allergen may stay behind, even if the seat is cleaned properly. Even if they are able to find out in advance that a pet is on board, it would be a big inconvenience to them to have to change flights and pay penalties and so on.
They're also aware that even if they don't react on the flight, there can be delayed reactions. They could have symptoms four to twelve hours later. Not knowing in advance, they don't know whether they need to adjust their medications before they come on board. Some people have raised the fact that even flight attendants and other airline employees could also be infected, if they are asthmatic.
They would clearly prefer to have a pet-free environment on planes. If that is not to be--that is what we are advocating for, with the exception, of course, of service dogs--they would certainly like to be able to find out in advance of the flight that a pet is on that flight. They'd like other procedures that reduce risk and improve communication, possibly confining pets to one area at the back of the plane; the right to change seats; they want airlines to improve the cleaning processes, perhaps switch to leather seats; they would like the right to cancel and rebook with no penalty, or a mechanism where they can even register their allergies in advance. Perhaps, after that point, pets wouldn't be accepted on the flight.
I know it's a difficult issue because there are animal lovers and people who are allergic to them--sometimes one and the same--and it's not an easy topic on which to get consensus from everyone. However, these are the main points that I have heard.
Thank you.