Have Chicken; Will Travel!

We welcome lots of interesting visitors... and their traveling companions... to the Bay of Fundy every year. This summer was no exception but this summer there was a first: an Ontario couple traveling with their chicken!

I suppose it's no secret that people are traveling more with their pets. In fact, the Travel Industry Association says 29.1 million Americans travel with their pets. Hotels are targeting pet owners as a niche market and indulgent pet hotels and spas cater to the dearly beloved of the animal world. In February, Continental Airlines even announced the first ever pet-friendly airport lounge opening in Houston, Texas.

In Buk-Buk the Chicken's case, it presented some interesting questions ... Most attractions require pets to be on a leash. How do you put a chicken on a leash? Aggressive pets must wear a muzzle. Is a chicken aggressive? How would you know? How would you muzzle a beak? What about stoop and scoop? Would that apply to a chicken?

As long as she was carried in her owner’s arms, Buk-Buk was permitted to visit but could not enter interior spaces at attractions. That seems fair... though I wish I'd chanced to meet our feathered guest on her trip around the Bay!