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441-02696 (Animals)
Petition to the Government of Canada
We, the undersigned residents of the Province of Manitoba, draw the attention of the Government of Canada to the following:
Whereas:
1. Service dogs that support people living with many neurodiverse conditions are becoming more common;
2. These dogs are highly trained animals doing very specific jobs to assist their handlers with daily living;
3. These dogs assist their handlers to become contributing members of their communities;
4. Currently there are no specific guidelines around public access for service dogs in Manitoba and several other Canadian provinces and territories;
5. Currently there are no licensing requirements for service dogs in Manitoba and several other Canadian provinces and territories;
6. There are many misconceptions that result in limited access and harassment for service dogs and their handlers; and
7. It is very easy to order a "service dog" vest online which results in untrained dogs (pets) being used as service animals.
THEREFORE, your petitioners request the Minister of Health to:
1. Consult with their provincial counterparts, service dog trainers, and handlers regarding the need for guidelines on public access;
2. Consult with their provincial counterparts, service dog trainers, and handlers on licensing requirements for service dogs;
3. Consult with their provincial counterparts to develop guidelines for public access and licensing requirements for service dogs; and
4. Consult with their provincial counterparts enter these guidelines and licensing requirements into federal and provincial legislation.
Response by the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): SAMEER ZUBERI
The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for bringing this issue to its attention. It acknowledges that all Canadians have the right to take part fully in society. Advancing accessibility is about creating barrier-free communities, workplaces and services for all Canadians.
The development of national accessibility legislation – the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) – fulfilled the Government of Canada’s commitment to accessibility and the rights of persons with disabilities. The development of this legislation involved significant consultation with stakeholders, and the disability community in particular. The resulting Accessible Canada Act is landmark federal legislation that aims to realize a barrier-free Canada by 2040.
A key principle of the ACA is “Nothing Without Us”, which means that persons with disabilities should be consulted when developing laws, policies and programs that impact them. In keeping with this principle, the Government of Canada works with persons with disabilities, and organizations who advocate on their behalf, to better understand the full diversity of the community it serves.
As the petitioners indicate, Mira guide dogs are not the only legitimate working dog. In fact, in Canada, service dogs, which are defined in section 1(1) of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations, are allowed wherever the handler goes with the exception of where food is processed and produced.
These regulations define a service dog as “individually trained by an organization or person specializing in service dog training to perform a task to assist a person with a disability with a need related to their disability.”
The Government of Canada continues to implement its plan with the aim of making Canada barrier-free for persons with disabilities by 2040.
- Presented to the House of Commons
-
Leah Gazan
(Winnipeg Centre)
October 10, 2024 (Petition No. 441-02696) - Government response tabled
- November 25, 2024
Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.