Draft Guide Animal Act

In July 2010, a working group formed by BCCPD submitted a draft Guide and Assistance Dog Act (GADA) to the Honourable Michael de Jong, BC's then-Attorney General, requesting a meeting.

Our working group continues to work hard on this initiative and are hopeful we will meet with Attorney General Shirley bond to discuss our proposals.

For years, BCCPD and other disability organizations have been gathering information on the shortcomings of the current Guide Animal Act and preparing a workable alternative. As the working group says in its Briefing Note on the Act to the Minister:

"Our organizations and clients have experienced the impact of the inadequacy of [the current Act] for years. Guide dog and assistance dog users badly need new legislation to help ensure they are never turned away from a restaurant, mall, refused entry by taxi drivers, or challenged by Strata Councils. Certified dog trainers, instructors and licensed puppy raisers also need their right of access clearly enshrined in legislation."

GADA Highlights

• GADA defines guide and assistance dogs and their access and residency rights.
• It provides for an expanded number of support roles for which assistance dogs are now being trained. These include service dogs, hearing dogs, seizure response dogs and autism support dogs.
• GADA also proposes that puppies being trained by certified dog trainers, instructors and licensed puppy raisers have similar access rights to certified guide and assistance dogs to help ensure they have been trained in all the situations they will encounter with their users. 
• The benefits from interacting with animals have long been recognized by the medical and non-medical community. The proposed legislation provides certain domiciliary rights for animals recommended by a medical practitioner for the purpose of providing emotional well-being to a person with a disability.
• Larger fines and the option for civil action are also proposed.

Resources

• Proposed British Columbia Guide & Assistance Dog Act (12 pages)
• The Guide and Assistance Dog Act: A Proposal for New Legislation for British Columbia: Briefing Note (13 pages)

Working Group Members

• Access for Sight Impaired Consumers
• Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
• Autism Support Dogs
• BC Coalition of People with Disabilities
• BC Guide Dog Services  
• CNIB (Formerly Canadian National Institute for the Blind)
• Paws International

Feedback

If you have any comments on the draft Act or the need for a new Act, please email Jane Dyson at jwd@bccpd.bc.ca.