Welcome to Service Dogs Ontario
Are you wondering about Service Dogs Ontario? Approximately 2.6 million people live with a disability in Ontario. That’s almost one in four Ontarians. Some folks have a service dog to help with their disability.
This is important because it can help to provide crucial support for everyday activities and daily living. In addition, it can provide improved opportunities and access for people with disabilities to safely participate in life.
In this detailed guide, we’ll go through service dogs in Ontario from different perspectives. This guide is for you if you are:
- A landlord or renter
- Employer
- Employee
- Business owner
- Family member
- Member of the community
- Someone who is interested in getting a service dog
- Someone who just wants to learn more
By the end of this guide, you’ll understand what service dogs in Ontario are, what they do, where they are allowed, what you can ask the service dog handler, whether they need to be certified or registered, what the rules are for public businesses and housing, and so much more. Let’s dive into this, or feel free to jump to my other article on Service Dog Organizations in Ontario [Directory].
Table of Contents
Overview of Service Dogs Ontario: Laws
In Ontario, people with disabilities are protected under the following laws:
What is a Service Animal in Ontario?
Under the Customer Service Standard of the AODA, (The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) an animal is considered a service animal if:
- It can be identified via visual indicators, like a harness or a vest; or…
- The person using the service animal provides documentation (like a letter) from a regulated health professional that confirms the need for the service animal is related to a disability
General information
- A Service Dog helps a specific person with that person’s disability
- The dog helps to mitigate the functional limitations of the disability
- Service dogs are entitled to public access rights with their trainer or owner
- People with disabilities can bring the dog into a movie theatre, restaurant, doctor’s office, hotel, government building, or anywhere else the public can go (with a few exceptions)
Service Dogs Ontario – Types of Animals
Under the Customer Service Standard, there are no restrictions on what type of animal can be used as a service animal.
Service Dogs Ontario Certification
In Ontario, a formal certification or testing of Service Dogs does not currently exist. To ensure a dog is a respected member of the community, The Canadian Canine Good Citizen test is recommended.
The Canadian Canine Good Citizen Test can help to make sure dogs are trained and conditioned to act mannerly in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs and people.
Service Dogs Ontario Registration
Similar to the United States, service dogs in Ontario do not need to be registered. This is under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the AODA. Service animals do not need certificates or any kind of ID card. However, folks with service dogs may be asked to provide acceptable documentation. This is a simple doctor’s letter/prescription that explains the animal is necessary for a disability.
The documentation needs to be either:
- Documentation from a regulated health professional
- An identification card from the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General for people who are blind and use a guide dog
Legitimate service animal “registration” – like most other locations around the world – does not exist. Be aware of websites online attempting to make money from people who don’t know any better. Check out my article Which Service Dog Registry is Legitimate to learn more about why registrations are not required for legitimate service dog teams.
Service Dogs Ontario – How To Register a Service Animal in Ontario?
You don’t.
What is a Regulated Health Professional?
(4) For the purposes of this Part, an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability if,
(a) the animal can be readily identified as one that is being used by the person for reasons relating to the person’s disability, as a result of visual indicators such as the vest or harness worn by the animal; or
(b) the person provides documentation from one of the following regulated health professionals confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability:
Ontario Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
A regulated health professional is defined as a member of one of the following colleges:
- College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario
- College of Chiropractors of Ontario
- College of Nurses of Ontario
- College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
- College of Optometrists of Ontario
- College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
- College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
- College of Psychologists of Ontario
- College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario
In other words…
- An audiologist or speech-language pathologist
- Chiropractor
- Nurse
- Occupational therapist
- Optometrist
- Physician
- Surgeon
- Physiotherapist
- Psychologist
- Psychotherapist
- Mental health therapist
You May Need a Doctor’s Letter for Your Service Animal
If you decide getting a service animal may be right for you, you may need to obtain a simple letter from your doctor. You could also get your letter from another healthcare professional (see above).
This letter will simply state that you require a service dog. It does not need to tell your entire life story, or include any further details.
Service Dogs Ontario – Who is Eligible?
Anyone who is living with a disability in Ontario is eligible to get a service dog.
Service dogs are meant to:
- Help with daily life and other tasks
- Improve the quality of life and keep people safe
- Provide access to different opportunities
Examples of Disabilities for Service Dogs Ontario
Disabilities can be:
- Visible or invisible
- Present from birth
- Developed over time
- Caused by an accident
Just a few examples of disabilities
- Visual impairment or blindness
- Hearing disabilities or deafness
- Speech impairments
- Physical or mobility disabilities (such as paralysis, amputation, difficulty with balance and/or coordination)
- Brain injuries
- PTSD or other psychiatric conditions
- Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
- Intellectual disabilities
- Learning disabilities
- Developmental disabilities
- Mental health conditions
Examples of Service Dog Tasks
Service dogs can be trained to do an almost unlimited number of tasks for various disabilities. Here are just a few examples of the tasks or work that these amazing creatures can do to help us humans:
Service Dogs Ontario Tasks:
- Waking someone up from a nightmare (PTSD, for example)
- Alerting to low blood sugar or high/low blood pressure (Diabetes, for example)
- Pulling a wheelchair
- Opening and closing doors and drawers
- Carrying grocery bags
- Paying for something with a bank card/credit card
- Checking a room for intruders before the person enters (PTSD, for example)
- Doing laundry
- Reminding people to take medication at a certain time
- Bringing someone medication and a water bottle (Panic attack, for example)
- Alerting handler to certain sounds (knock on the door, fire alarm, phone ringing, handler’s name for people who are hard of hearing)
- Guiding someone across a busy street (for people who are blind or living with low vision)
- DPT (Deep Pressure Therapy is a technique where a service dog applies pressure to help someone transition from fight-or-flight to a more relaxed state)
- Stopping the handler from repetitive or harmful behaviors (Autism, PTSD)
- Protecting someone having a seizure, or going to get help after the event
- The Giant List of Service Dog Tasks (K9 Total Focus)
Service Dogs Ontario – How To Get One?
If you decide that a service dog is right for you, where can you get one from? There are several options and avenues.
- You could adopt a dog (or pick up a puppy) and train him/her yourself (It can take roughly two years before a service dog is completely trained)
- Another option is to adopt a dog and train him yourself with the help and assistance of an experienced dog-training professional
- And yet another potential option would be to get a trained service dog from a reputable organization. Some of these organizations are non-profit or charity groups and have very long waiting lists and/or a lengthy application process, but it still may be a valid option for you or someone you know. Check out my article Service Dog Organizations in Ontario to view the growing directory.
Service Dogs Ontario – Training
- Check out Assistance Dogs International which is commonly accepted as the ‘Global Authority in the Assistance Dogs Industry.’
- Please note that ADI will only allow established nonprofit, or charitable programs, to apply for accreditation or membership
- There are many additional resources available that offer perfectly ethical and exceptional service dogs to you or someone who needs one.
There are many private organizations or businesses that also offer trained service dogs. Or, they may help you to train your own.
The dog training industry is under-regulated
Just be careful and know that the dog training industry is quite under-regulated at this time. This is true in general, and it includes service dogs in Ontario.
So, it’s important to do your homework. Be sure to research their experience and qualifications. There are several organizations that offer memberships to professionals. This ensures high standards and codes of ethics are followed.
Service Dogs Ontario Professional Memberships Check them out here:
- Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers (CAPPDT)
- Association of Animal Behaviour Professionals (AABP)
- Certified Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)
- Animal Behaviour Society (ABS)
Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers
The Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers is an insane resource for anyone needing to learn more or to get some help training a service dog.
You can:
- Find a service dog trainer in your area
- Get advice on how to choose a trainer
- Get advice on getting a new puppy
- Get advice on getting an adult or rescue dog
- Get access to training resources
- … and so much more
How to Get a Service Dog for Depression and Anxiety Ontario
As with the other types of service dogs in Ontario, you have a few options for getting a service dog for depression and/or anxiety. Feel free to check out my article on How to Train a Service Dog for Anxiety & Psych Tasks.
- Train the dog/puppy yourself
- Train the dog with the help of a professional
- Search for an organization that may be able to provide you with a fully trained service dog (some fundraising or other costs may be required)
- Any combination of these options
A service dog who is trained to help someone by doing psychiatric service dog tasks would be known as a psychiatric service dog. Check out my article on Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks – 17 Examples to learn more or Psychiatric Service Dog Training to learn more about how to begin the training process for a psychiatric service dog. Some examples of these tasks include:
- Waking someone up from a nightmare or waking someone up at a certain time
- Tactile stimulation
- Facilitating social interactions
- Reducing fears about being around other people or in crowds
- Serving as a buffer to help someone cope with being in a crowd of humans
- Helping someone to calm down when they get agitated
- Grounding someone dealing with fears and anxiety
- Helping someone get back to the present moment
- Helping to create a safe personal space
- Getting medicine and water when someone is unable
- Getting help
- Providing balance assistance
- Reminding a person to take medicine, and nagging them until it has been done
- Disrupting emotional overload
Psychiatric Service Dogs Ontario
In case it’s not already obvious, obtaining or training a service dog is no easy or simple task. Whether you train the dog yourself, get a trainer to help you, or obtain a dog from an organization, it likely won’t be a quick process. The same is true for when you need a psychiatric service dog. Let’s discuss getting a psychiatric service dog in Ontario. Also, check out my article on DPT [Deep Pressure Therapy] Psychiatric Service Dogs.
How Do I Get a Psychiatric Service Dog in Ontario?
To get a psychiatric service dog, you can either train your dog yourself, have someone help you train your dog, or, obtain your service dog from a for-profit or not-for-profit organization. The very first thing you need to do in this process is to contact your doctor in order to get a letter. Or, contact another healthcare professional as mentioned above.
If you apply to any service dog organization, they will surely want you to include this in your application package. You will also need this letter if you ever have to fly on an airplane with your service dog.
There are several avenues to a psychiatric service dog in Ontario:
- Training the dog yourself, or with help from dog trainers or an organization
- Obtaining a psychiatric service dog from a private organization – can be costly
- Obtaining the psychiatric service dog from a nonprofit or charity organization. While these organizations often provide fully trained service dogs to people who need them at no charge, there are often long waiting lists (more than two years is common)
- The cost to train one service dog is at least $20,000 regardless of whether a for-profit or non-profit organization is training. Non-profits rely heavily on donations and sponsorships
Service Dog Laws Ontario – Public Access
All service providers that operate premises open to the public, must welcome service animals in Ontario. They must allow customers with disabilities to keep their service animals with them anywhere they need to go.
The only exception is in places where the law excludes service animals (like inside a sterile operating room environment, for example).
But if there is no law against service animals at a certain business or location, then service animals must be allowed to go with their handler anywhere the general public can go, including taxis, grocery stores, and malls.
However, if a business exists where the law restricts service animals, then the business or facility must provide another way for service dog handlers to access their goods, services, or facilities.
Can You Ask for Proof of a Service Dogs Ontario?
Businesses and other places that serve the public in Ontario may ask someone with a service dog for documentation about their dog. This can be a prescription or doctor’s letter from any of the above-mentioned professionals. Unfortunately, fake service animals are a real thing, and this causes problems for legitimate service dog teams who are merely trying to go about their lives.
Limitations and Exceptions for Service Animal Access Rights in Ontario
As per OADA, (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) All businesses, and service providers in Ontario must welcome service animals. There are only a few food-related exceptions, like certain sections in food manufacturers.
Sometimes, a person with a disability who uses a service animal might want or need to access a particular location that is generally open to the public, but where service animals or service dogs are not legally permitted in Ontario.
In these circumstances, service providers need to still offer alternative accommodation. This is to ensure that the customer can still access the service that is usually offered in that location.
Providers have a few options. They might serve the customer in a location open to the animal.
Or, providers might be able to serve the customer in the location where the animal is not allowed. If this happens, the service animal may wait in a different location.
Service providers need to follow these service animal laws. Otherwise, they are obstructing the law. Penalties may occur.
By welcoming service animals, businesses and other providers are showing a sincere commitment to serving all customers, regardless of disabilities.
What Is a Therapy Dog?
A therapy dog is usually someone’s pet that enjoys meeting a large number of different people, such as in a school classroom, nursing home, or hospital setting.
These dogs may or may not be trained, but they are not trained for one individual person, or for one person’s specific disability. This is the main difference between a therapy dog and a service dog.
Therapy dogs are often taken with their owner into different settings, and multiple people enjoy the benefits of these friendly creatures.
People who are stuck in hospitals or other medical settings, or perhaps in schools or other institutions benefit from the positive effects of having a friendly, calm, animal to pet, hold, or be around.
Therapy dogs don’t enjoy the same public access rights as service dogs, but are still important.
What Is a Companion Dog?
A companion dog is considered a pet, an important animal that can help people just with its presence; just by being there. And, it must follow all the normal rules and bylaws for pets.
Companion animals are not considered service dogs because they have not been individually trained for a specific person’s disability.
Emotional Support Dogs Ontario
Ontario Does Not Recognize Emotional Support Animals
The province of Ontario does not recognize ESAs at all. Ontario does not have any laws about ESAs and there is no additional housing access for ESAs.
In the U.S., emotional support animals have rights to housing, but not public access.
In Ontario, If you have a pet that you use for emotional support reasons, there is good news: Landlords in Ontario cannot prevent tenants from owning pets. This is according to Section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act.
Pet Fees for Emotional Support Animals
In addition, landlords can not charge pet fees. You can’t be evicted for having a pet. There are some limits on what kinds of pets you may have.
So, people who are utilizing emotional support animals should not have any problems accessing housing with their animals.
Frequently Asked Questions about Service Dogs Ontario
Can you ask for proof of a service dog in Ontario?
Businesses and other places that serve the general public in Ontario may ask someone with a service dog to provide documentation from a medical professional as proof the dog is actually a service dog. See above for a list of accepted professionals.
What are the service dog training costs?
No one said that training a dog – especially a service dog – would be cheap or easy. It can take thousands and thousands of dollars (up to $50,000 is not unheard of) and months or years to fully train a service dog.
Check out my article on service dog pros and cons to decide if it’s right for you, or learn about how to select the right service dog breed for your life and situation to get started in the right direction.
You may be able to get a service dog from an organization that provides them with people who need them at no cost, or a small fee. Check out my directories for Service Dog Organizations in Canada, or Service Dog Organizations in Ontario. Even then, dogs will cost money. They need food, veterinary care, other supplies, possibly insurance, and some other things.
Emotional Support Dog Training
How are emotional support dogs trained? Simple answer: they aren’t. Emotional support dogs aren’t officially recognized in Ontario. Landlords in Ontario must allow all pets, and this naturally includes emotional support animals.
ESAs are not usually task-trained like service animals are. This means ESAs may have basic dog obedience, but don’t do any special work or task for someone with a disability, other than being there.
How to Make My Dog a Service Dog in Ontario?
People often wonder about how to get their own service dog. There are a few things to remember.
Not just any dog can become a successful service dog. It’s best to start when the dog is young so that you’ll have the maximum amount of time left after training is completed. Dogs don’t work forever, and they don’t live nearly as long as humans, and these are important things to keep in mind.
Also, some dogs are made for working and others just aren’t. The dog you have right now might not be the perfect service dog “prospect.” You can start with a puppy and get a dog trainer to help you, or search for an organization that can help. There are a lot of options and avenues to getting a successful service dog.
Are There Service Dog Licenses in Ontario?
Some states, provinces, or areas may have official service dog licenses, but Ontario does not. Ontario does not require service dogs to be registered, certified, or licensed unless local dog licensing laws require it from all dogs.
People who use service dogs and who will be out and about in public places, need to have a service dog vest on their dog, and/or be able to provide a doctor’s letter/prescription to any business or entity that serves the public.
Are Service Dogs Allowed in Restaurants in Ontario?
Yes, service dogs are permitted to accompany their handler to restaurants, malls, grocery stores, taxis, movie theaters, and anywhere else the public may go, with a few exceptions (operating rooms and other sterile environments, for example). Businesses must not discriminate against people with disabilities.
Who Qualifies for a Service Dog in Ontario?
Anyone who lives with a disability may qualify for a service dog in Ontario.
Accessibility Ontario
For more information, check out Accessibility Ontario.
Visit ontario.ca/accessibility
Email: accessibility@ontario.ca
Telephone: 1-416-849-8276
Toll Free: 1-866-515-2025
TTY: 1-800-268-7095
Twitter: twitter.com/ONAccessibility
Facebook: facebook.com/ONAccessibility
Service Dogs Ontario – Conclusion
Service animals are a special type of animal (usually a dog) that can help people with their disabilities. There is an almost unlimited number of tasks that a service dog can do to help someone. A service dog is more like a wheelchair or cane, rather than a pet. It just happens to look like a pet.
Training a service dog can take years, and it’s probably not going to be cheap. Taking some time to do some planning, and perhaps speaking with an experienced dog trainer, can often help steer you in the right direction.
If you are a friend or family member, the best thing you can do is to first believe your family member if they tell you they require a service dog. Read up about service dogs, and listen, to help understand the situation and try to be sensitive to their needs. It’s bad enough to have to live with a disability; worse when your friends and family are not being supportive.
For businesses, service animals have a right to most places where the public is allowed. Denying access can lead to complaints about discrimination, and could be, in turn, bad for business. Service animals are highly trained. If a service animal is behaving badly, you may ask the service dog or service dog team (dog + handler) to leave. You may also ask the person for proof their dog is a service dog in the form of their doctor’s letter/prescription.
Thank you so much for the comment. I’ve been trying to pour my heart and soul into this. I’ll keep working on it!
Really good collection of information here. Nice to have some of it in one place. seeing as the area of Service Animals is so exceptionally confusing and the lack of documentation some places and places of work want to make up their own rules it seems. Lets hope that Ontario puts in some documentation on what is an acceptable request and what is not to gain work place access.