It’s easier now than ever before to certify or claim your pet is a service dog in Alberta.
Owners can train their own animals and purchase service dog vests online — but that doesn’t mean your dog is qualified or trained for the job.
Two-year-old Lynx has been training to help Teena Cormack with mobility and post-traumatic stress disorder over the last seven months.
“He’s changed my life, my health — just a year ago was dramatically different than it is now,” said Cormack.
Cypress Canine Society donated Lynx to Teena to act as medical equipment for nine years, helping keep her stable — something that can be tricky in a situation where people or other pets distract Lynx from his job.
“For me, it’s a huge risk when people try to attract his attention, saying ‘Hi puppy’, or trying to catch my eye — or worse, Lynx’s’ eye — because it throws my balance off because he is a 65-pound dog,” said Cormack.
“We’re not here for your entertainment,” said Echo Landry, a service dog owner-trainer.
Landry said counterfeit service dog certification is a growing problem in Alberta.
“There are fake registries online where you just type in ‘I want a service dog’ or ‘I want an emotional support animal’ and then people will pay $250 to get a fake I.D. card and a vest sent to them,” said Landry.
“Then they’ll take their untrained non-legitimate service animal into public and that is very dangerous.”
Chonita Sims, service dog owner-trainer, shared the same concern.
“I’m scared that another dog is going to attack her and set us back in our training,” said Sims.
“If we’re set back on our training, that’s going to impact my health because I won’t be able to leave the home.”
Amanda Labodie, owner of Many Muddy Paws Dog Training, explains a bad experience or attack can force a service dog to be washed out and deemed unfit for work, costing owners thousands of dollars to purchase and possibly self-train a new service dog.
“A service dog needs to have a super sound temperament. They can’t be alarmed at things that might happen in real life,” said Labodie.
If an illegitimate dog causes a problem in public, store owners have the right to ask them to leave and may not allow any service dogs back — even though that is illegal.
Proclaimed into law in 2009, Alberta’s Service Dogs Act enshrines the rights of people with disabilities who are accompanied by qualified service dogs to enter any location where the general public is allowed.
“Often people who have service dogs have them for a reason, whether that’s a mental illness or a physical disability,” said Labodie.
“It’s really a lot for them to take if they’re asked to leave just because that business had a bad experience.”
An annual Alberta Service Dog Qualification Assessment must be taken and without it, a service dog is not certified. It’s a rigorous 40-step process where dogs have to be well-behaved and no excitability is allowed.
The province told Global News there are efforts to protect individuals who are dependent on service dogs for support under the service dog act.
“Alberta’s government works hard to protect individuals living with a disability and dependent on service dogs for support. We want to ensure that the animals and handlers have their rights protected, which is why we have the Service Dog Act,” a statement from the province said.
“Fraudulently claiming to have a disability in order to take advantage of the Service Dogs Act is an offence punishable by a fine of up to $300. This legislated protection helps protect service dog handlers across the province.”
To report a concern about a service dog handler visit alberta.ca/report-concern-about-service-dogs or email servicedogs@gov.ab.ca.
Information on getting a dog certified can be found at alberta.ca/get-service-dog.
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