Pam Andrews has multiple sclerosis so her service dog Cyber helps her pick up things – such as the crutch Cyber is clutching – and pull open doors, among other duties. She’s thrilled at proposed new legislation that will include provisions to provide her and her dog access to businesses and other places, and fine those caught pretending their pets are service dogs.
— Image Credit: Wanda Chow/NewsLeader
Pam Andrews and her daughter-in-law had driven an hour to take her then-two-year-old grandson to a regional tourist attraction from her home in Richmond.
Andrews lives with multiple sclerosis and uses a scooter to get around. After they paid for their tickets, she was told her golden retriever service dog Cyber wouldn’t be allowed inside.
She said the staff there questioned her need for the dog and didn’t care that she had government identification showing Cyber is a certified service dog. She called the Burnaby-based Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS), which trained Cyber, and even they weren’t able to reason with the staff.
Andrews, 53, got their money refunded but to make matters worse, when she asked to use the restroom before the long drive home, she was denied access again until the staff agreed to escort her to the washroom and back.
It’s situations like these that are all too common for people with disabilities who rely on the support of service dogs. It’s also one that’s about to change, thanks to new provincial legislation introduced to guarantee service dogs access to anywhere the public is allowed.
“With these changes we can make sure that a fully certified dog will be appropriately recognized and won’t result in someone with a disability being turned away from a service,” Social Development Minister Michelle Stilwell said when the legislation was introduced recently.
Violators such as stores and restaurants who refuse entry to service dogs will also face stiffer fines of as much as $3,000.
Disability Alliance BC executive director Jane Dyson said tougher penalties were long overdue and the current maximum fine of $200 was “grossly inadequate.”
The proposed Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, if passed in the legislature, will replace the Guide Animal Act which is about 30 years old.
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