The province is handing down new legislation that will protect service dogs and their owners from discrimination.
Businesses that refuse access to people with certified helpers could be slapped with a hefty fine.
Former police officer Kevin Johnson has PTSD.
He says his service dog Maggie is helping him with both the physical and emotional scars left by injuries he received on the job.
“There’s so much that people don’t see that the dogs are actually trained for,” he says, “and they are definitely not an accessory. They are a very, very, important part of our lives.”
The new rules will also make it harder for someone to pass an untrained animal off as a service dog.
The Service Dog Act will see photo IDs issued for certified four-legged helpers.
Johnson says this will prevent people from abusing the rights that are so important to service dog owners.
“It, kind of takes the legitimacy of what I need and the reason why she’s in my life. It also makes people, kind of, question when they see a dog, like ‘oh, is that a real service dog?’”
He says the new legislation is a step in the right direction.
But adds, more work needs to be done to educate the public about service dogs.
