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What is a service animal?
What is a service animal?
A service animal is an animal with specialized training to assist a person with recognized physical and/or mental disabilities. The Service Animal must be able to take a specific action, when needed, to assist the person with an aspect of their disability.
Note that an emotional support animal is an animal that provides support to its owner by being in its presence, alleviating symptoms of certain mental disorders. They do not require specialized training. Therapy animals are animals that provides therapy service to individuals or groups, such as in a hospital. The service provider will do a physical test to ensure the animal is competent and properly behaved. Both emotional support animals (ESA) and therapy animals (TA) do not get special access in the way that service animals do.
Service animals and their handlers are protected and given rights under the code of rights in their given location, which can vary wildly in both how to certify, document, or register the animal, as well as what a service animal is allowed to do.
References
Service Animals in Canada
Service Animals in Canada
Each province in Canada has different requirements to become a service animal. But in all provinces a service animal is a human right to those who need it and is allowed in housing, employment, education, and access to public services and places even when pets are not.
When with a service animal, recognized by the province you are in, businesses are not allowed to; refuse admission or services to a person with a service animal in the absence of an undue hardship, interfere with the provision of services by a service animal, require a person with a service animal to disclose details of a disability, charge higher fees, deposits or surcharges to a person with a service animal, or segregate service animals and handlers from other members of the public.
The handler should be prepared to explain that the animal is a service animal and provide a basic description of the service the animal has been trained to perform. Handlers must also ensure that service animals are properly controlled to avoid unnecessary disruptions, risks to safety, or damage to property. Handlers may be asked to remove service animals that are not properly controlled. Handlers can be held responsible for injuries to people or property caused by a service animal.
Alberta
In Alberta a service animal must either be from a qualified provider (the site referenced below has details), or pass an assessment to be certified. The assessment or training will prove that the animal does not pose a risk to the public, and the animal must also demonstrate a minimum of 3 skills or tasks it does to help with the handler’s disability.
Once a letter of approval has been received, a Service Dog Identification Card will be processed and mailed to the handler. Assessment of owner-trained dogs must be conducted yearly.
https://www.alberta.ca/service-dog-information.aspx
British Columbia
In BC the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act and regulation is the set of rules that governs service animals. Service animals must be certified either through receiving a trained dog from an accredited school or by passing a public safety test. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/human-rights/guide-and-service-dog
Manitoba
In Manitoba the Service Animals Protection Act is the set of rules that governs service animals. Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSD) and Emotional Support Animals (ESA) do not require any special training or any specific species, as long as it alleviates stress and provides support and comfort to the disabled person.
New Brunswick
Honestly I could not find any specific rules for recognition of service animals and rights of handlers, and apparently it is not just me.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/service-dog-rules-vague-1.6052099
Newfoundland and Labrador
Honestly I could not find any specific rules for recognition of service animals and rights of handlers, and apparently it is not just me.
Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia the Service Dog Act is the set of rules that governs service animals. Service animals have certification and identification standards for service dogs and their handlers. However, if you choose not to apply for certification, you will still be protected against any discrimination by the Human Rights Act. If a service dog team does not have an identification card and is denied access to a public place, the penalty provisions of the Service Dog Act would not apply. However, anyone who is denied access because of a disability can still file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.
In order to be certified in Nova Scotia an application must be made regardless of whether or not the animal was trained by an accredited school. If not trained by a school the animal will also need to pass a service dog assessment. If successful in the application the handler will receive a service dog identification card.
https://novascotia.ca/servicedogs/
Ontario
In Ontario the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Access for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is the set of rules that governs service animals. Service animals do not need to have certificates or identity cards.
However, many of the rights, and even which breeds can qualify to be considered service animals is decided by municipality. Additionally, you may be asked to provide acceptable documentation, which is either documentation from a regulated health professional, or an identification card from the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General for people who are blind and use a guide dog. Acceptable health professions include; audiologist or speech-language pathologist, chiropractor, nurse, occupational therapist, optometrist, physician or surgeon, physiotherapist, psychologist, psychotherapist or mental health therapist.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility-ontario-what-you-need-to-know#section-7
Prince Edward Island
In PEI the PEI Human Rights Act is the set of rules that governs service animals. Service animals do not require official certification. A service animal must have one of the following three; a collar, harness, or vest identifying them as a service animal (which cannot include an animal training facility), or a letter or card issued by a recognized animal training organization, or the handler can identify how the animal has been trained to assist with their disability.
http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/sa_fs.pdf
Quebec
In Quebec service dogs do not have a specific law protecting them, or their handlers. All people in Quebec who use a guide dog or service dog are protected by the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
https://theservicedogs.com/service-dogs-in-quebec/
https://melioraservicedogs.com/en_GB/service-dog-laws-jurisdiction/quebec-service-dog-laws
Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code is the set of rules that governs service animals. There is no official government-recognized certification or registration process for Service Animals or Support Animals. A handler is not required to carry proof that an animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a Service Animal. However, "Persons with disabilities should be prepared to produce a training certificate to confirm the specialized nature of their service animals." Service Animals are expected to meet local animal control or public health requirements. They are also subject to local municipal animal licensing and registration requirements.
There are individuals and organizations that offer to sell Service Animal tags, vests, certification and registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the Code.
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