Lunquist is currently on holiday in Norway with his companions Viki (10) and Tjorven (8). news meets her in Bodø just before she is to take the ferry over to Lofoten. Despite the fact that she is looking forward to the trip across the Vestfjord, which offers raw northern Norwegian nature, she is worried about one thing. Where will the dogs be on the roughly three-hour trip? On the ferry company Torghatten Nord’s website, it appears that dogs must be locked in the car on the ferries from Bodø to Lofoten. – Out of the question For Lundquist, however, it is out of the question to have the dogs in the car for so long. – We can’t do that. If there is an alarm or other loud noises, they become stressed. It can be very difficult to have them in the car later. On the ferry between Bodø and Lofoten, dogs are not allowed on deck. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news The reason for the dog barking is, among other things, to show consideration for people with allergies. – That I can understand. My dogs are hypoallergenic. In other companies there is often a dog department. So there are solutions. The Swedish car tourist reacts to the fact that the information is not more readily available. – It is a bit unclear. It has been difficult to find correct information about this. These are the guidelines of the ferry companies regarding animals on board: Fjord1: You can bring animals, but they must remain in the car or placed in cages (which you can borrow on board if necessary) during the crossing. Pets cannot be brought into the lounge area. Norled: Can bring a dog as long as it is not in the salon. Exceptions are drivers/assistance and service dogs. Boreal: The crew considers whether and how many pets are allowed on board. Animals must not be in the salon. Either be in the vehicle, in a cage on a car tire or in another designated place during the entire crossing. Bastø Fosen: Has its own rooms on board where you can sit with your pet. Animals travel for free. Torgatten Midt: Dogs on board a boat must be transported in their own cages/crates if they are to be in the passenger lounge. Otherwise, they must stay in a designated area outside the passenger lounge, as directed by the crew. This is to avoid contact with chairs/carpets and the like in the passenger lounge out of consideration for allergy sufferers and fellow passengers. Does not apply to guide dogs together with blind/impaired people, utility dogs that can be credentialed, and police dogs together with paying police in uniform. (Sources: The ferry companies’ websites) – Not responsible Veterinarian at Rana veterinary office, Ragnhild Arnesen, says that dogs can have a hard time locked in a car for a long time – especially if the sun is shining. – If you get a place on the ferry where the dog is exposed to the sun, it is not good at all. It is not an animal protection measure at all, she says. And states: – You cannot have a dog in a car with the sun directly on it. Then you can risk the dog being dead when you get back. – It should be possible to ensure that the dogs can be out on deck, says vet Ragnhild Arnesen. Photo: Veterinærhuset Arnesen has even taken dogs with him on ferries in Nordland. Then she has experienced that there have been zero problems. – I understand that you are not allowed to have the dog in the salon, but it should be possible to arrange for the dogs to be outside on deck. She believes that in this case the ferry company is choosing the “path of least resistance” by banning dogs on deck. – It is easiest to just ban it. I think it is sad that it is not possible to have a dialogue to get more flexible solutions. It only applies to a minority, and they probably see that they don’t lose much by doing this. – Other considerations come before news has asked Torghatten Nord about where the dogs can be during the ferry trip and whether the dog can be out on deck with the owner. – We want to take good care of dogs and other pets during the crossing, but we also have to take other passengers into account, the company writes in an email. Furthermore, they list allergies, fear of dogs and other reasons for keeping dogs away from the ferry deck. – We fully understand that dog owners and others with pets do not want to leave them alone during the crossing, but here, unfortunately, other considerations come first. – What do you think about travelers finding it difficult to find information about this? – We want all relevant information to be easily accessible to our passengers. If it is difficult to find information about the policy for pets on board, we need to look at how we can make this even clearer Published 30/07/2024, at 11 a.m
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Responding to the fact that dogs must stay in the car during the ferry journey – news Nordland
