Service dogs more than meets the eye
People at city hall for a service dog awareness session Friday were told that for an animal to have the associated privileges it must have government-issued identification.
Miranda Turenne, trainer and assessment co-ordinator for PADS, told an audience of about 100 people that service dogs are highly trained to mitigate a variety of disabilities including mobility, epilepsy, diabetes, autism and PTSD. Turenne says the Service Dog Act ensures people with a disability and certified trainers are guaranteed public access rights. Qualified means from a recognized school or has passed a test and met certain standards.
Denying public access to a qualified service dog and handler — who have government identification — can result in a fine of $3,000, said Turenne. The responsibility of the handler is to ensure they are in control of the dog.
“The goal is to have a dog that is as unobtrusive as possible,” said Turenne.
Government identification includes the government of Alberta Service Dog ID Card or government ID from another province that includes the logo for Assistance Dogs International or a Guide Dog and Services Dog Certificate in Training.
Turenne says therapy dogs and emotional support dogs do not have the same public access privileges that service dogs do. A doctor’s note about the need for a therapy dog is not equivalent to a government service dog ID card.
There is a protocol that the public should be aware of when coming into contact with a service dog and handler. Turenne says they are not pets and not all disabilities are visible. It is not appropriate to ask a handler what their disability is. It is not appropriate to distract or interfere with a service dog. Do not offer food to a service dog food and do not take photos.
Duane Burr has had a service dog named Trevoy for four months. They demonstrated some of the tasks Trevoy helps with including carrying a shopping bag in his mouth, tugging on the sleeves of Burr’s sweater in order to help him remove it and picking something up and handing it to Burr.
“It’s like having your best friend with you all the time and an employee,” said Burr.
Burr and Trevoy will be retested annually to ensure they continue to qualify.
Turenne says the full training process for a service dog can be about $35,000. Only half of all the dogs trained meet the exacting requirements including having a happy disposition, confidence and are safe and reliable.
Burr says a service dog is a tax write-off because the dog is considered “medical equipment.”
Service dogs help people with specific tasks while guide dogs are trained to assist people who are blind or visually impaired. Both are trained and tested to ensure safety in public. Additional information is available online.
https://www.alberta.ca/service