Yellowknife (May 19/06) - The days of tucking your tiny dog into an under the seat kennel are over - at least on Air Canada flights.

A new policy will come into effect on Sept. 18, prohibits pets - including dogs, cats and other small animals - from riding in the cabin. Guide and helper animals are exempt from the policy on flights to Australia, Hawaii, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

Jo-Ann Cooper, owner of Borealis Kennels, helps her two-year old Boston Terrier Leo, into his soft-sided kennel at her store in Yellowknife on Wednesday. - Emma Taylor/NNSL photo

The reason for the policy change is primarily because of allergies passengers may have to animals, said Angela Mah, Air Canada spokesperson.

"We have a broad and diverse customer base, and we are doing this in fairness to all customers in order to offer all customers an allergy-free environment," she said.

The existing policy allowed pets up to 22 pounds to ride in a pet kennel that could be stored under the seat.

This new policy will cause a lot of headaches for passengers who have already booked tickets in advance, said Jo-Ann Cooper, the owner of Borealis Kennels in Yellowknife.

"There are a lot of people who buy tickets this time of year for travel at Christmas, and they are going to be left scrambling to make arrangements for their pets," she said.

That means they either have to pay high baggage rates of $105 an animal, or board their animals at one of the three boarding kennels in Yellowknife: Borealis Kennels, Great Slave Animal Hospital, and Canadog. Another hitch in the system is that Air Canada won't transfer pets to connecting flights.

"You have to find someone to pick up your dog and transfer them for the second leg of the flight, which is expensive," she said.

The sheer cost of shipping a pet in cargo or boarding them may mean that pet owners decide to cancel their trip, she said.

Cooper says she understands the reason behind the new policy, but disagrees with pin-pointing animals as an allergen, when many passengers douse themselves with perfume. "That's often worse than the pets," she said.