POTCAKE PETITION Airline has ultimate responsibility 22 APR 2014: A dog rescue group in Turks and Caicos is trying to take on WestJet over its policy that no longer allows passengers to travel with canine companions from the Caribbean vacation destination. That policy is a major hurdle for Potcake Place, a charity organization in Turks and Caicos that finds homes for stray dogs, often with Canadians who vacation there. Supporters of Potcake Place started an online petition to ask WestJet to change the policy and gathered more than 1,500 signatures to present to the airline last week. Laurie McCann is a Canadian volunteer with the group, which rescues feral, mixed-breed dogs known locally as potcakes. She says the charity organization sends about 30 adopted dogs a year to Canada, and many people have relied on WestJet for cheaper fares on flights. “Weve had a whole bunch of people that had booked specifically on WestJet, that were looking to come on holidays and adopt a pup, and now they cant adopt, she said in a phone interview from Providenciales, the territorys largest city. She says that has led to people cancelling or delaying their plans to adopt. There are an estimated 2,000 potcakes roaming around Turks and Caicos, according to the Department of Agriculture, which is a lot for a territory with just more than 32,000 people. The charity, along with the Turks and Caicos SPCA, work to limit the potcake population. Adoptions, local and international, help to do that. But the issue isnt just a concern for Potcake Place. Any visitors - such as snowbirds who make the islands a second home during winter - are going to be affected if they want to travel with their pet on WestJet. McCann says she knows of about 20 people that are going to have to find people to keep their dogs on the islands when they return home to Canada for the summer. Others are having to rebook tickets with US airlines. The Turks and Caicos government says it doesnt have any issue with dogs visiting - or leaving - the island. The territorys chief veterinarian, Dr. Mark Butler, says Turks and Caicos does place restrictions but only on certain breeds. He says he has contacted WestJet about the companys restriction, but he insists the territorys requirements are no different than any other governments rules. WestJet says it runs the risk of being held responsible if it allows animals on board that are turned away at the final destination. “If we allow an animal without the proper paperwork to enter a country, it is the airline that is responsible for the consequences, which can include deportation (transport back to point of origin), medical costs, euthanization (in the event of illness) and fines, says WestJet spokesman Robert Palmer. On its travel info page on its website, WestJet says it also doesnt allow pets on flights to or from several rabies-free destinations - Antigua and Barbuda; Bridgetown, Barbados; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; several of the Hawaiian islands; Montego Bay and Kingston in Jamaica; Dublin; St. Lucia; and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. JustTravelDeals.ca
Posted on: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 15:05:41 +0000
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