With over 87,500 pets crossing the Irish Sea with Stena Line this year, the Swedish owned ferry company has crowned its first Ferry Pawmother.
Throughout 2023, nearly 100,000 pets set sail with Stena Line but already in 2024, more than 87,500 pets, and their loyal owners, have taken advantage of the impressive pet facilities onboard Stena Line’s fleet.
Four-year-old Kea, who donates both her blood to help critically ill canines and her time to help train the next generation of aspiring vets, saw off competition from over 4,000 pets to be crowned Stena Line’s Ferry Pawmother.
The competition was organised to celebrate Stena Line’s enhanced travel experience which includes 70 animal-friendly cabins across its Irish Sea routes and pet lounges on its Stena Superfast vessels operating between Belfast and Cairnryan.
At just eight-weeks-old, Kea found her forever home as part of Serena Maini’s family.
Over the years, Kea has taken to helping Serena in her work at the Royal Veterinary College in London, both as a teaching dog and a blood donor.
“A teaching dog gives students the opportunity to practice non-invasive procedures and ‘easier’ examinations on a live animal,” explains Serena.
“This gives students vital practice at things like putting a bandage on a specific area of a dog’s body and Kea is a very amenable and gentle volunteer who enjoys the interaction with the students. She has also been donating blood for two years now and does so every three months, the procedure is very similar to human blood donation.”
With Serena’s family still living in Belfast, Kea is no stranger to travelling on the ferry and with a love for the sea, she is the perfect Stena Line Ferry Pawmother, according to her family.
Serena says: “Kea is a real water baby whether she’s splashing about in the sea, digging holes at the beach, or travelling on the Stena Line, she really enjoys it.
“We’re delighted other people see what we see in her and thrilled that she has been crowned Stena Line’s Ferry Pawmother.
“Kea loves taking the trip from Cairnryan to see my family in Belfast. It is incredibly pet friendly and super convenient. She has made the trip four times now. I really couldn’t think of a more hassle-free way to travel with her.”
The Swedish-owned ferry company’s pet friendly travel options when travelling to Britain, Ireland and France include pet cabins, a Pet Lounge onboard Stena Superfast when travelling on the Belfast – Cairnryan route and the option to leave your pet in the car, in kennels or dog lodges during the journey.
Guests can prebook the Pet Lounge from only £20 per pet or, where applicable, a pet-friendly cabin from only £55 per cabin (maximum two pets per booking).
All passengers who wish to travel with their pet in the pet lounge or cabin must pre-book in advance of travel and ensure all necessary vaccinations and documentation is up to date.
Stena Line is the best choice for pets on the Irish Sea. To find out more about its pet friendly options and to book your next trip, visit http://www.stenaline.co.uk
* All Stena Line Irish Sea routes have pet-friendly options including:
Liverpool – Belfast (every day, twice a day, approx. 8 hours) – pet cabins, pet lodges and in-car option
Holyhead – Dublin (every day, twice a day, approx. 3 hours and 15 minutes) – pet cabins, kennels, pet lodges and in-car options
Fishguard – Rosslare (every day, twice per day, 3 hours and 30 minutes) – pet cabins, kennels and in-car options
Rosslare – Cherbourg (three times a week, approx. 18 hours) – pet cabins and kennels.
Cairnryan – Belfast (every day, up to six times per day, approx. 2 hours 15mins) – dedicated pet lounge, kennels and in-car options
Kea visited the Pet Lounge whilst in port. All animals in the Pet Lounge must remain in carrier cases during travel.
