Digby, Nova Scotia Terminal

BUT, too many staff. Alot of people standing around. Seemed ridiculous. And I’ve travelled on many, many ferries – much bigger & much smaller ones. But I’ve never seen so many crew members standing around. Tax dollars. All making good wages, but jeez – felt like a giant waste of funds.

And rude, generally. The car deck crew. One guy came blasting through the doors as folks were gathering their things and yelled to ‘get off the car deck now – you can’t stay on the car deck.’ Some young guy with red hair. Snarly. Like we were prisoners being herded. It was brutal.

And once you’re on the passenger deck, they rope off the stairs so you can’t get back to your car. For a sweatshirt, medication, whatever! I’ve never been roped off like that. I simply moved the rope & went down to my car to get what I needed, anyway – but I doubt most folks would do that. Follow the rules. And how ridiculous they were.

Drop a few labour hours & fix the urinals & the top deck cash register, and don’t allow the staff to stand around chatting with one another like it’s a social gathering. Who runs this ferry?

The kennels were unsafe and uncomfortable, especially in 32-degree heat. There is no air conditioning until the boat leaves the bay, making the room stifling hot. These crates are wire cages placed side by side, allowing dogs to see each other, which can exacerbate stress and trigger reactive behaviors. Dogs in these conditions can become highly anxious or even aggressive due to the lack of visual separation and the overall stressful environment.

To make matters worse, there was no water provided in the kennels. I refused to leave my dog in such a dire situation. The staff did accommodate us the best they could, given that the boat had already left the dock. However, the initial setup is utterly unacceptable. Upon leaving the deck and going back to our vehicle, the room where the crates were still felt extremely hot, even though they exclaimed that there was AC in the area.

If you’re considering traveling with the Digby Ferry from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and are relying on their advertised “pet-friendly” amenities, let me save you a heap of frustration and potential heartache: look elsewhere. Their claims of being accommodating to pets and their owners are not only misleading but border on neglectful, especially when it comes to the treatment of emotional support dogs.

The ferry’s website paints a picture of a seamless and caring environment for your pets, promising two clear options for travel. It states that service animals on-leash are allowed on the interior passenger deck with paperwork, and that a crew will be on hand to monitor pets in the vehicle deck, alerting owners if there are any issues. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Upon our arrival, the area designated for pets was a stifling 32 degrees Celsius, despite their assurance that it was air-conditioned. A dog, already confined to a kennel, had to endure this oppressive heat for an unknown period of time. Even more concerning is the fact that passengers are prohibited from checking on their pets during the crossing. The temperature was not just uncomfortable but downright inhumane, making their claim of being “air-conditioned” both laughable and potentially dangerous.

In our case, my sister’s emotional support dog was going to be subjected to these abysmal conditions, left isolated and vulnerable for the duration of the trip. Despite the ferry’s route to New Brunswick, where documentation for emotional support animals isn’t mandated.

Upon requesting to have my sister’s emotional support dog accompany us on the top open deck—away from the main passenger area—we were met with a flimsy excuse about potential allergies from other passengers. When we asked how they accommodate legitimate guide dogs in such cases, the crew failed to provide a coherent response and merely added that some passengers might be afraid of dogs. This is simply unbelievable. How do they manage situations where someone has a peanut allergy or is afraid of loud noises? The lack of consistency and understanding in their policy regarding support animals was both disappointing and frustrating.

The one glimmer of hope was a lone staff member who seemed genuinely concerned about my sister’s distress at being separated from her emotional support animal for over two hours. However, this single act of kindness was drowned out by the overwhelming apathy and negligence exhibited by the rest of the crew.

To say I was disappointed with the Digby Ferry’s pet-friendly claims would be an understatement. Their false advertising, lack of basic procedures for pet safety, and the indifferent attitude of most of the crew left us frustrated and deeply concerned about the welfare of our pets. If you’re traveling with an emotional support animal or any pet, I urge you to reconsider using this service.