Traveling with Animals

Service animals are welcome aboard any Trailways vehicles as well as those of our Network Partners. Pets are welcome aboard select Trailways trips.

A service animal is any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.

Service animals must be trained to perform tasks directly related to its handler’s disability.

Emotional support animals are not considered a working service animal under the American Disability Act and therefore are not permitted to board vehicles as a service animal. To ensure that both you and your service animal travel easily and comfortably, please review the following information.

Before adding a pet to your online or in store purchase, make sure that you read the terms and conditions for traveling with pets here.

Making your purchase online: If your pet is welcome on board the journey you've searched for, a box will appear to add them to your reservation before checkout. Make sure to select that option before completing your purchase.

Making your purchase in person: Our retail locations are happy to assist you in adding a pet to an eligible trip. Simply alert your agent prior to purchase that you'd like to include your pet on your journey.

Made a purchase but forgot to add your pet? We have two ways to help:

1. Digital Purchases: Request a refund for your digital purchase and re book the same journey with the added pet pass. You may also visit a retail location to purchase a stand alone pet pass to accompany your existing online reservation.
2. In Person Purchases: If the journey you purchased allows pets on board, then head to one of our major retail counters prior to your trip to acquire a stand alone pet pass.

A fee of ten dollars ($10) will be charged for each leg of your journey. As an example, a roundtrip purchase would incur a $20 fee. The pet fee does not apply to service animals.

Trailways of New York will allow a passenger to bring one small dog or cat (no other pets will be allowed) on board. However, please be advised, pets will not be permitted on trips crossing an international border or on trips which require a transfer to another bus company.

Only one pet per passenger will be allowed. The pet must be in a pet carrier provided by the passenger and must be placed at the passenger’s feet. The carrier with pet cannot be placed in an overhead bin, on the seat next to the passenger or in the aisle. The combined weight of the pet and carrier cannot exceed twenty-five (25) pounds.

The carrier must be leak-proof, well-ventilated and allow the pet to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position. The maximum size of the pet carrier is 17 inches long, 11 inches wide and 9 inches high.

The pet must be odorless, quiet and not aggressive and require no attention during the trip. The pet must remain in the carrier for the entire duration of the trip.

A pet carrier will count as one piece of carry-on baggage. A fee of ten dollars ($10) will be charged for the pet. An additional ten-dollar ($10) fee will be charged for the return trip. This fee does not apply to service animals. If a passenger prefers to pay for their pet to travel in a carrier placed on the seat next to them, the passenger will be charged for a full-fare adult ticket. The fee must be paid at a terminal, agency, online or to the driver.

Comfort and emotional support animals do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and therefore, for the purpose of this policy, they are considered pets. Trailways of New York reserves the right to refuse acceptance of any pet and remove any pet exhibiting behavior that violates our policy.

Trailways of New York reserves the right to change and/or modify the schedule of a passenger(s) travelling with a pet in the event that any passenger and/or driver has allergic symptoms that could impair their health or affect the operator’s ability to safely operate the motor coach.

For the full Trailways of New York pet policy visit this link.

Trailways carriers and network partners are proud to accommodate your trained service animal free of charge.

The size of the animal must not exceed the footprint or personal space of the rider's seat or foot area during the entire trip.

In the terminal and on the bus, service animals must be under the control of the owner at all times.

Please consider not overwatering or overfeeding your service animal on the day of travel.

Service animals are expected to be restricted to the space on the floor below a passengers seat; or, if no larger than an infant, seated in the passenger's lap if necessary to accommodate your disability.

Service animals in training are permitted to ride Trailways vehicles only if all of the following conditions are met:

• The animal is being delivered to their new owner or handler.
• The service animal is being transported by a trainer.
• The trainer can identify the new owner's/handler's name and home city.
• The trainer can provide documentation on official letterhead noting the service animal has successfully completed training.

Service animals are expected to behave appropriately both in bus terminals and on board the bus.

If your service animal engages in disruptive behavior such as (but not limited to) the following, you may be asked to leave the coach or company facility.

• Barking excessively, not in response to a handler's need or distress
• Aggressive behaviors towards other passengers or animals (e.g., biting, growling, snapping, lunging, etc.)
• Freely wandering or running around
• Relieving themselves on the coach
• Jumping on guests or employees
• Not responsive to owner/handler’s commands