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ARCHIVED - Animal group urges Renfe to allow larger dogs on Spanish trains
Dogs weighing more than 10 kilos are not allowed to travel on trains in Spain
The good weather has finally arrived and looks set to stay, and as a result many people living in Spain are planning mini-breaks and weekends away. With around 7 million dogs in homes across the country, it’s becoming ever more popular to include pets in our vacation plans, but this isn’t quite as straight-forward as it seems.
The current regulations state that dogs, cats, ferrets and other non-poultry pets can indeed travel on public transport, but Renfe’s medium and long-distance trains only allow one animal per passenger, and they can’t weigh more than 10 kilos. This poses a big problem for many, especially considering that some of the most popular dog breeds in Spain, such as Border Collies and Labradors, are well above this weight threshold.
Rules for train travel are similar to those on flights, where animals can weigh a maximum of 8kg for the cabin, but passengers have the added option of putting larger animals (up to 45 kilos) into the hold.
No such alternatives exist with Renfe, and Carles Mulet, member of the Parliamentary Association in Defence of Animal Rights (APDDA) has accused the company of discriminating against the owners of larger pets.
"Despite the fact that, in recent years, hundreds of frequent customers who travel with Renfe have complained, the company does not provide any justification for applying this rule," he reported to the Spanish government.
Today, the only dogs you’re likely to see on public transport are mini varieties like the Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier, an aspect APDDA has repeatedly urged the government to force Renfe and other train companies to change.
Similarly, other public figures have been campaigning to pressure Renfe to change the rule and allow well-behaved dogs of all sizes to travel.
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