Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 25/05) - Christmas travel restrictions on pet travel could ground Northerners with holiday travel plans, warns a Yellowknife boarding kennel owner.

Jo-Ann Cooper, owner of Borealis Kennels & Pet Specialities, holds the only size pet kennel that can be brought on board an Air Canada flight. - Dorothy Westerman/NNSL photo

From Dec. 19 to Jan. 6, pets won't be allowed at all on Air Canada and WestJet flights, and face significantly higher travel costs at other times of the year.

"People travelling with their pets outside the Territories will have to pay much more," said Jo-Ann Cooper, owner of Borealis Kennels & Pet Specialities.

For those travelling within the North, the websites for First Air and Canadian North say the flat rate for pets is $65 per kennel.

According to new regulations, if the combined weight of pet and kennel exceeds 70 pounds they must be shipped as cargo.

"That raises the price astronomically. You might as well buy him a ticket," Cooper said.The cost of taking a pet as a carry-on luggage has also increased to $105 from $65.

Cooper said the changes are causing an uproar among Canadian Kennel Club members who are circulating a petition to protest.

"I'm on a dog show chat line and it has just skyrocketed," said Cooper, who breeds and shows Boston terriers.

The Christmas travel embargo on pets is causing concern among Yellowknifers planning fly out of the city during the holidays, Cooper said.

Cooper's boarding kennel has been booked solid since September, leaving travellers with few alternatives.

"It's unfortunate. A lot of these people work on getting their tickets in the summer time. That's when they should be planning for everything."

Angela Mah, a spokesperson with Air Canada, said the changes are required to maintain lower priced daily fares. "That is our customer's main concern - having low airfares," Mah said.

The weight restriction on baggage and the higher costs for pets as cabin baggage are the two changes, Mah said.

Lauri Evanitski, owner of DogPaddle Adventures in Yellowknife, said the changes will add to the cost of bringing dogs from the south to join their teams.