Thursday, May 30, 2013

Dogs on the Railroads: Then and Now



George Earl is famous for his paintings of sporting events and animals, particularly dogs.  The picture shown above (click to enlarge) is entitled "Going North, Kings Cross Station," and was done in 1893.  It shows a shooting party waiting for the 10 am train to Scotland. The scene takes place in the East Hall of Kings Cross Station, and the travelers are upper class passengers and servants with hunting and sporting equipment, including dogs.



"Going South, Perth Station," was painted in 1895, and shows the same party returning home via the Perth railroad station, complete with pelts, grouse, and even a set of antlers. Look carefully, and you will see some of the same people (and perhaps dogs) in both paintings.

In the U.S., for unexplained reasons, pet and hunting dogs are not allowed on trains, not even in travel carriers. A new bill to correct that has recently been introduced. The "Pets on Trains Act of 2013" would allow small dogs on passenger trains as carry-on luggage, with larger dogs allowed to ride in the cargo hold in larger travel crates.
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