WATCH: The provincial government has introduced new legislation designed to ensure people with guide and service dogs have the same rights as everyone else. Kylie Stanton reports.
VANCOUVER – B.C. residents who use the services of a guide dog or service dog will soon have improved access to public transit and restaurants as part of the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act.
Guide and service dogs provide support for people with disabilities, such as helping those who are visually impaired navigate their surroundings and provide assistance for people with hearing loss, epilepsy or diabetes, for example.
If passed, the act will lay the foundation for a number of changes proposed to take effect this fall. The aim will be to ensure people accompanied by a certified guide or service dog are guaranteed the same rights and privileges as everyone else. Dogs or puppies-in-training, when accompanied by a certified trainer, will be allowed to go into any public place where a full certified guide dog can go.
New requirements will be put in place around visible identification for the dogs, like a designated tag or card, to make it clear to business owners, landlords or transit staff that the dog is fully certified.
Tenancy rights for guide and service dogs will also be updated so landlords and stratas are aware of the rules and peoples’ rights to keep certified guide or service dogs with them, regardless of bylaws restricting pets. Retired guide and service dogs will also fall under the new housing rules, meaning people who have relied on their guide or service dog for years will not have to separate from them.
Once new regulations come into effect, guide and service dogs will be required to be trained by a facility accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF).
“Guide and service dogs provide a true lifeline for many British Columbians – their support allows their handlers to live fully integrated lives despite the challenges they may face,” said Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton in a release.
“These changes are about ensuring access rights for these individuals and their certified dogs and safeguarding the public through high training standards. They will also provide clarity around the rules about where guide and service dogs can accompany their handlers – for the public, for business owners and staff, and for landlords and strata.”
WATCH: Laura Watamanuk, PADS Executive Director, joins Aaron Mcarthur on Prime to talk about the new rules governing service animals in B.C.
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