New rules would let guide dogs stay in condos, despite bylaws
Guide and service dogs will be able to move into condominiums with their users regardless of pet bylaws under new B.C. legislation.
They’ll also get new identification badges to prevent them from being barred from restaurants or kicked off buses.
And once they retire, they’ll be able to keep living with their handlers rather than having to move away because of outdated tenancy rules.
Attorney General Suzanne Anton introduced the changes March 12 under a new Guide Dog and Ser- vice Dog Act that updates 30-year-old legislation.
If the bill passes: • All dogs certified in B.C. will have to meet international training standards. • Training facilities will have to be accredited by either Assistance Dogs International or the International Guide Dog Federation. • Dogs from out of province or unaccredited programs will still have a chance to qualify through testing.
“Overall, this will mean that the public can be assured that guide and service dogs are certified to the highest standard and always on their best behaviour, whether on a bus or Sky-Train, in stores or cafés,” Anton said.
The law also requires that service dogs have ID similar to a driver’s licence on their vest as proof of their critical duties.
Puppies in training as service dogs, meanwhile, will get improved access to buses, stores, coffee shops and other public places.
“It’s a critical step for the dogs who are on their way to being fully certified that they get their paws wet,” Anton said.
She said tenancy rules also will be updated to clarify the rights of a service dog to reside with its owner.
“Regardless of any pet bylaws, individuals with a certified guide or service dog have the right to keep their dog with them in their strata,” Anton said.
She added that the updated rules will apply to retired dogs as well.
“After many years, it’s very unfair to split up a partnership, so this will allow the dogs to continue to live with their owners.”
Disability Alliance B.C. welcomed the changes. Executive director Jane Dyson said the previous law never envisioned the expanding role of guide and service dogs, which now assist people with diabetes, epilepsy, hearing impairments and a range of disabilities.