Not My Monkey, Not My Circus!

My biggest pet peeve are the people who take dogs places they are not supposed to be and then try to pass them off as a “Service Dog”. You know those arrogant people who put a dog in a bag or tell you that his “service” is to help them stay calm. Then when confronted they get all indignant and start mouthing off about discrimination, that they’ll sue. All while making a scene to try and embarrass you into capitulation.

Then there are the sneaky ones who buy a vest or cape for their dog, that may or may not have a patch saying Service or Therapy Dog. These people have bought these things online, one guy in Welland gets $250 for a cape, patch and certificate, all in a Service Dog kit! They wave that certificate around like God and will smite everyone, mostly people back off…the dog is usually not obedience trained and misbehaves.

I’ve sat and watched many a restaurant server, host or owner tap dance around these situations and relent to having the dog there. I’ve watched them cringe as I walk in with Tonka, theres a look of fear that grips anyone when they don’t know what to do!

Therein lies the problem! Why don’t they know what to do?

Local restaurant for lunch.

The answer is simple…the vast majority of people “think” they know the Law. After all, theres the sign with a guy in a wheelchair and ramps, white canes and braille for blind people, push buttons and don’t touch, talk or look at Service Dogs, right? It’s that attitude, right there…the one that justifies not doing something because we want to do something more important… we know about ramps and stuff, so…lets go fishing, the boss will tell us if we need to know something. Trouble is it was the boss taking them out in his boat!

These challenge situations rarely work out well and usually both parties get hurt, all from a lack of knowledge. Had they only known! And then that feeling of dread strikes…what if I’m wrong? What happens now? Oh my God!!!

If you’ve gotten this far then I’m sure you can relate to some of what I’m speaking of, from either side of the fence. If you can’t…you’re a blockhead!

Obedience training school when Tonka was about 9 months.

The answer is simple, people just haven’t learned and they don’t see the need too. They know what a “handicap” is, they like Sick Kid’s FaceBook page, give at Christmas and know who “Tiny Tim” is! This apathetic attitude led to a Human Rights discrimination case in regards to a person with a disability. This case against the Province added to a new reality created by hospital and mental health institutions closures…as more people with a disability were forced to live in “mainstream” society, the infrastructure to support them was not there, this forced the Government of Ontario to act.

It is against the Ontario Human Rights Code, Section 10, to discriminate against a person with a disability. To put it simply it means that we are all equal and have the right to live independently, with respect and dignity while living a quality life filled with equal opportunities! After a study done during the mid-late 90’s on what needed to be done, the Ontario Disability Act (ODA) was passed in 2001 detailing what had to be done to make everyone equal under the Human Rights Code, this in turn produced the Accessibility for Ontarian’s with Disabilities Act (AODA) in 2005, which details how the people, business and municipalities of Ontario will do that.  The AODA includes 5 Standards of regulations that must be implemented before 2025 with the goal of making Ontario fully accessible to everyone. It gives timelines, guidance, resources, free training, it pretty much begs you to use it…and yet…situations like the following keep happening for no good reason.

The very first standard, The Customer Service Standard and The General Requirements, implemented in 2008 state everyone must be trained. All employees, volunteers, people who make policy must be trained in the OHRC and the AODA…that covers everyone!

Staying with my father-in-law in Emergency.

When I was approached for some advice on a situation and subsequently found myself mediating, to a point, I had no idea what I was walking into. Lady X, a friend of my wife’s, has a Service Dog due to a disability…she proceeded to tell me how she had been treated at a restaurant in town. It would seem that somebody had complained about her dog. She was quite upset by the accusations that her Service Dog had “sniffed” someone or wandered or chewed cardboard it found on the floor, would I be a dear and talk to them about it. She had been there with her support group and now nobody wanted to go back. Funny though, she never mentioned having to leave and the thought never crossed my mind, I just assumed.

A few days later I went to said establishment. I asked for a business card and since I couldn’t see it, ask where the license was. Its a public document that must be displayed and will have the legal name of the business, not the company name, thats needed to file a complaint. I usually take a photo of it prior to discussions for obvious reasons. When questioned I explained that I wanted to speak with someone about the service dog incident. A few minutes later a gentleman came out to chat, Chef said that he’d been there that day and explained that the dog had crossed the aisle and sniffed someone, was pulling in all directions, wouldn’t lay down and was chewing cardboard it found on the floor. We left it at…the dog shouldn’t have been in there as it was not behaving and the owner was within their rights to ask her to leave. I said I’d call the owner later.

Now, how do I explain to Lady X that she needs to train her dog better. It needs more exercise as its young and bored, hence the moving around and chewing. And it must be obedient and show good behaviour.

Before I got to Lady X, I called the owner a few days later to explain that there was nothing to worry about. Sure I was willing to go down and talk with her…in a couple of hours because this had been bothering her…that should have red-flagged her right there but it didn’t.

Travelling we don’t do “pet friendly”, he’s a working dog and well trained thank you!

Everyone was very cordial and I was given coffee, which I was immediately thankful that I paid for it rather than taking the free one offered. It would seem that someone had told her I was from the government! I told her that they were mistaken and that the chef had told me what happened. She looked at me and said, “don’t know why, he wasn’t here”. It would seem that this was not the first “incident” with this particular dog, there had been four different ones. And the “sniff” was actually a nose dive into a couple of women’s crotches! The wandering was when Lady X was getting her coffee, the dog pulled all over and someone had hot coffee spilt on them. The cardboard came from where it had been stuffed under tables to keep them level and there were crumbs everywhere. However, she was adamant that she did not ask her to leave, just control the dog, she knew about Service Dogs. There has been a St Bernard training as a Service Dog on our patio with the bicycle people…huh?

As we were talking she was becoming more and more agitated, the truth finally came out. The confrontation had been difficult for both, the end result…the dog was allowed in the restaurant BUT the owner was not welcome!

After she’d calmed down I quietly said, “Could I see your Service Dog policy?”

“My what?”

And there you have it…that is the moment that I realized nobody in the business had done any training as required by the AODA, General Requirements, Section 7: Training.

Vacation in Maryland, we had great meals out, saw the sights and was the only animal allowed on Ocean City Boardwalk because he’s a Service Dog.

Lady X knows that the letter of documentation she carries gives her the right to have a Service Dog with her and she also knows that the Human Rights Code gives her the right to train her own dog. She was right…however her dog needs more training!

The shop owner was also right that the dog should have been removed for misbehaviour, no arguments. She was right too…but she didn’t really know that. Had she done the training she and her staff would have known how to handle the situation, confident that they were doing the right thing. But that wasn’t the case…the Chef went on the internet and couldn’t find anything, the owner spoke with a lawyer friend, the owner worried for a week about me, if the health inspector would show up or a lawyer and what Lady X would do. She even managed to try intimidating me with revenue and political insinuations. The results…

• the Service Dog is allowed in for coffee as long as it behaves, however Lady X will have to wait at the curb.
• Lady X needs to train her dog better
• the owner needs to train herself and her employees
• damn, wonder if the even knows about the compliance reports? Not my Monkey, not my Circus!

Tonka was a star, laying on the floor during this whole debate/drama and finished with a short display of obedience that left them breathless. With the command of “Heel” I bid them good-bye and we left, job done and avoided.

Bottom line…if your dog is properly trained for obedience, you can go anywhere without much of a problem and remember, as I always preach, only the letter of documentation that you must carry makes your dog legal…never forget it. Buy a cape with a zippered pocket and put an extra copy in there, as well as your wallet.

Rant Day!!! I give up…time for a bigger hammer?

It’s not titled “Adventures in a PTSD World” for nothing and I did say that this blog shared the dual purpose of mentoring and as a place for me to vent every once in a while.

Well, its a while! And I’m not even sure where this will go but lets just jump right in, shall we?

I don’t look, act or speak as if I have a disability…or maybe thats the other persons perception of what a disability is and at what level it impacts them? Suffice to say its a mental health disability that limits me, more than the physical one that I don’t count. Thus the requirement for a Service Dog but this is not a rant about service dogs, this is about something way more important, this is about the attitude of non-disabled people towards accessibility in general. It’s reached a level of revulsion in me that no longer do I wish to “educate” people about the importance of accessibility but wish to crack them over the head with “The Code” and not just for people with disabilities. Now I believe that there are more than a few that resent the AODA, don’t understand where it comes from, are angry that they have to spend money and from personal experience, break the AODA on purpose because it has no teeth and twist other regulations to do the absolute minimum.

Let’s start at the beginning…this morning I had a counsellor appointment and all was good, confusing a little but that was normal as I still don’t get how some things are connected. I guess the important part was that I was open, vulnerable but not scared. So I left there, went to the bank and then Tim’s before driving home, everything is still okay, just me and Tonka driving home listening to the radio. And I get thinking about something else and how its going to inconvenience me with something important, with a deadline thats running out…and it starts!

By the time I get back to town I’m trying to stay calm and just deal with the flow, then I see it. The open door of the store cutting the sidewalk width in half, held open with a block and a display sign hiding behind it. That and I’d just noticed that the sports bar had their board sign blocking the walkway by the tree, again. Then I thought of how the signage for the accessible parking never got done, how the building inspector deemed brail on washroom signage not necessary as blind people couldn’t see where the sign is and the extreme efforts in our town to create public transportation without creating any conventional transportation system, then have the audacity to say “it doesn’t need to be accessible”! Those thoughts are minor compared to where I got after thinking about the accessibility committee being disbanded and the rest of it…arrrghhhh!

But there was that door, opening into the sidewalk. I’d been hit by a different one yesterday that I didn’t know was there. The two girls looked at me as if it was my fault, like I was the one in the way! Thats when the “what if’s” started. Thats when I started calling people and leaving not quite polite messages, impatience took over without immediate response, fear of betrayal became anger and then things spun away, now I rant to resolve.

Of course it started with something small and now, maybe, I’m being overdramatic its only $30, however I have to drive 40 minutes to pay it because it took them 10 days to process my request, then I find out today that its supposed to be free. I’ll go pay it tomorrow and get done what I need…its only $30…who cares about how much it will cost in gas to give someone $30 while smiling because you wanna rip their head off for stealing your money by kidnapping your personal medical records…I’m okay, its fine, little slip, sorry!

Now back to this door. I’ve almost walked into this glass door several times now, I mean who expects a glass door to be opened into the sidewalk? I’m walking along reading the road banner and WHOA!!! Then I get hit by another one yesterday. The week prior I’m speaking with this lady in a wheelchair being pushed by her husband and we start talking about the state of accessibility within the town. She tells me all kinds of different things and I wish I could make everything better for her but I can’t, so I encourage her to write to the town. Then I see the sports bar sign and mention how we keep trying to get the business owners to move their signs. She tells me how she has already hit two with her arms because there wasn’t enough room to push her wheels and how she’s ready to start knocking them all over, she didn’t care, she was tired of the bullshit! I said I’d speak with the town for her, her response was perfect. File a human rights complaint or they won’t listen!

There you have it in a nutshell…perhaps educating some people really does need the “bigger hammer”. I have the experience and knowledge to do it but do I?

Someone once asked me if I want to be known as “that ass who” or “the guy who”? In a small town like the one I live in thats the most important question. Which will I be?

The ass that made all the businesses move their signs, correct the safety of pedestrians by fixing doors and allow people with disabilities to navigate the sidewalks as per the law?

Or, the guy who helped the BIA understand what accessibility is all about and that all people with a disability want is to live their life as you do, anyway you want too.

I’ve tried the first for two years now. I’ve spoken with others who have tried for decades. I spent almost 400 hours building a seminar of the AODA for the town staff. I’ve listened to politicians be indignant when held accountable to the AODA.

And I’ve watched the administration, council and businesses of my town discriminate against people with a disability, any kind of disability, for the last time!

I’ve spoken with them about the importance of the AODA. I’ve been in the same AODA training from the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario as they were. I’ve taught them the AODA and OHRC. They have signed off on all this training and filed a compliance report with the Directorate. And yet, they still haven’t learned!

Time for a “bigger hammer”. I’d like to be known as “the ass who”, this time!

Tonka takes the train…

It was 5:45am when I thumped the alarm off!

This was it, the day that had consumed most of my week to get ready for! Tonka and I were off to Toronto on the 7:34am VIA Rail train to Toronto Sick Kids to meet my daughter, Chantel and her mom Nancy at The Dalglish Family Hearts and Minds Clinic. I was giving my blood for genetic and research testing in the hope of discovering more about 22Q11.2 Deletion Syndrome that Chantel has and is not known well because it is a relatively new discovery.

Our destination at Sick Kid’s in Toronto

The Accessibility for Ontarian’s with Disabilities Act (AODA), General Requirements, Section 7: Training say that every person in Ontario who is an employee, employer, volunteer or who helps make policy shall take Ontario Human Rights Code training. During the first training video it explains how aircraft, banks and interprovincial travel are exempt from the AODA as they are considered Federal organizations…I should have remembered that that fact makes riding the Go Train very different from riding VIA Rail!

I’ve been on the Go Train and the Subway with Tonka before so I’m thinking that VIA Rail will be a breeze, buy a ticket, get on the train with Tonka on my lap and off we go…never think like that!

Boarding in Kingston…

When travelling on the Go Train I just buy a ticket and get on but travelling by VIA Rail required booking a seat. I had just finished paying for my train ticket and was reading the ticket information when I realized that my seat was on the aisle. That wouldn’t be good for Tonka as he’d end up in peoples way and besides I wanted the window too. Calling VIA’s customer service was my next step as I had to change from the aisle, they’d understand because I had a Service Dog or so I thought.

Explaining that I’d accidentally booked an aisle seat and would prefer a window was no problem. Great, I exclaimed, my Service Dog likes to sit on my lap and look out the window. There was a slight pause then she asked “Do you have a Service Dog?”. When I confirmed that I did, she told me I’d need 2 seats reserved! My first thought was that the trip was going to cost me double, my next was “why?” Then I started to get anxious and it started building. The rep quickly explained that Tonka would need his own seat and that there would be no extra cost, he would though have to stay off the seat and remain on the floor. She continued that I’d need a little more room because of him so she reserved 2 seats from a group of 4 plus a small table. Everything was going along great until her next request.

Tonka’s first train ticket and assigned floor space!

She needed a form signed by my doctor saying I needed a Service Dog and they would keep it on file, make sure that I had my certificate to show at boarding and carry his vaccination records to present if asked and to make sure that I had my certificate ready! This was Monday afternoon and I was leaving Friday at 7:34am, I also had problems with what was being said…I was still operating under the false assumption that the AODA applied. After a few very tense moments talking I realized that I was wrong and this was a very different circumstance as there are no accessibility requirements for Service Dogs at the federal level. There are UN Human Rights requirements that Canada has accepted at the federal level however, so there is a requirement for accommodation just no official federal policy.

Monday night the anxiousness had built to a mild peak of “freak-out” when I decided to tell VIA what I thought of their Service Dog policy. Stating how I thought it was unfair because there was no way I could get my doctor to sign that note in 3 days, that there are no government approved (federal or provincial) training centres for Service Dogs and that the certificates/capes they asked for could be bought online in a kit for $250 to create false Service Dogs and finally, I didn’t need vaccination records to cross the US border and am only required to carry my “letter of documentation” stating I required a Service Dog for a medical reason and the only way to get that letter is to be diagnosed with a disability, thus the letter or as I call it “my prescription”! The rant continued…as they embarrassingly do!

The next day I got a call from Ms Norie-Lyn Grier at VIA Rail Customer Service in answer to my email. Now maybe nobody else would have a problem but my mental health disability was working full force and I was almost paralyzed with the fear of not getting to Sick Kid’s. After apologizing for being a dink in my email I explained how my disability was effecting me. Everything that VIA and I seemed to do created more tension on my side but Ms Grier, kept me calm and worked through every concern that I had…in short she was great. I learned from her and I think that she learned a little from me. Nothing was done in an order that made sense but that was mostly my problem…as a Service Dog owner I must assume a certain amount of responsibility to call/check accessibility requirements and availability as well as liability. I didn’t do that and now was running scared that I wouldn’t have time to do everything I needed to do. Again VIA was great and already had a system in place. Even though their system seemed a tad over the line in avoiding liability.

Our Conductor for both our VIA rides that day…lucky us, she was great.

These are some ways to help make Service Dog accessibility work for you on VIA Rail.

• The first time you call to book a seat you should call at least a week ahead as there is a little paperwork and special seating to arrange for future travelling…after that you’re in their system and the need for accommodation is automatically flagged for the ticket agent when making your reservation.
• If you are like me and have a mental health or development disability call VIA by phone and ask for help…I found booking on the VIA website confusing. There is a drop-down box from one of the menu items on the home page where you will see a link to “Special Needs” (I know I had a problem too)…it helps but in my case it was better to call and get help.
• Create a VIA Rail Preference Number…this gives you an account and lists you as needing accommodation for your disability including the accommodation required.  In my case it says that I travel with a Service Dog and need an extra seat, which under the VIA support person/service dog policy is free…with documentation that you sent whilst creating that preference number.
• Via will email a form that your doctor must sign stating you require accommodation due to a medical disability. This form asks for medical information that I was not comfortable handing out and is needed for medical documentation. I explained that under the AODA I had to carry a “letter of documentation” signed by a medical professional stating that I required a Service Dog due to a disability…this letter was the only thing that made my dog legal as you can’t buy it online! After a brief discussion Ms Grier said that attaching a copy of the “letter” to the form in place of the doctors signature would suffice and offer the evidence they needed.
• Next was a requirement that I carry a copy of his vaccination records…even though I argued that I don’t need that to cross the US border, I relented. What was the trouble in making a photocopy and having Tonka carry it in his cape pocket…life is mostly a two way street, this was my turn to show that I understood their point.
• Ms Grier and I discussed the “certificate” problem. I explained that if the person mentioned a “certificate” then I automatically assume that the person has not had accessibility training! Again Ms Grier was great…we had a great talk about the difference between a “letter of documentation” signed by a medical professional who has diagnosed the person’s disability and a “certificate” that anyone can buy online. She then said that the letter would suffice as a certificate as it was signed by a doctor on letterhead with the medical professionals registered license numbers. I think I was arguing semantics but was still convinced that if nothing was said the station attendant would still be looking for a plastic card…seems that everyone believes a plastic card stating Tonka is a Service Dog is needed, its not, the letter is!
• The dog can not be on the seat, its must be on the floor.
• The train can’t stop for a “pee break” and you can’t get off and get on the next one as may be possible with a GO Train…this requires advanced planning depending on the length of the trip and the dogs washroom routines, which are normally trained into the dog. For instance, when sailing I control Tonka’s food/water intake the night before, on land its a little easier but he still has a routine for evacuation and I can control that routine after training a “poo-on-command”. Within a few minutes we’re done.
• Remember that as the owner/handler “you” have a certain amount of responsibility to keep the dog under control.
• It must be leashed and identified as a Service Dog with a cape.

So a quick recap; call a week ahead, setup a preference number for ease of future travel (creates an accommodation flag on your account), fill out medical form (without intimate detail) and attach the “Letter of Documentation” then fax both, carry a copy of the letter and vaccination records when travelling, keep off seat, must be under control (leash, obedient, housebroken), wearing a cape that designates a Service Dog, assume full responsibility for your animal.

Our Conductor was kind enough to take our picture…then it was back to the floor, unless I needed him, which I did a couple of times.

I would like to ask of VIA that they consider the following;

1. please ensure that station attendants understand that in Ontario at least, certificates are only legal for Guide Dogs and can/are faked for Service Dogs, that only the “Letter of Documentation” makes the Service Dog legal and must be presented when asked for
2. that a Service Dog and a Therapy Dog are not the same and should not be treated as such. Service animals must perform 3 “specific tasks” to aid the handler so are considered working dogs. Therapy Dogs aid others to feel comfortable or better they do not perform “specific tasks” for the handler and as such are not working dogs. They do to qualify for “entry exemptions” of any kind. They do not get a letter documenting the owners disability and entitlement to keep their dog with them at all times.
3. that vaccinations might not be required as under the AODA Service Dogs are required to be healthy and vaccinated at all times, its part of the handlers responsibility as owner
4. lastly…remind employee’s not to take abuse from customers about a certificate, explain that proof of a Service Dog requirement is part of VIA Service Dog policy, only medical documentation without detail is acceptable. The letter is more an affirmation that I have a diagnosed disability and require the presence of a Service Dog, it must be signed by one of the AODA approved medical professionals. The certificate only affirms that the dog is trained in some discipline, not that I require it and it is issued by the dogs training centre.

Tonka and I did get on the VIA Train on time. The trip was pleasant and the assistance from VIA employees, from Ms Grier to the conductor, was what I would consider fantastic. Tonka had his own ticket for his seat beside mine and I felt like I was being treated like a regular person. When I got home after travelling back to Kingston on VIA I realized something. I was treated like a regular person…VIA Rail treats everyone with the same respect, kindness, thoughtfulness and individual understanding. They are fantastic with everyone!

Thank you Via Rail and everyone who helped me that week…you went beyond for me and made me feel included, respected, independently able to travel and equal in opportunity. And thats all Human Rights ask’s…to be included in the whole“Tonka’s Tips”.

Hope this helps make your trip with VIA Rail as enjoyable (after my self-created angst alleviated) as mine was …change your habits, take the train!

Service Dog Mentor…a niche filled.

I wrote this about a week ago and forgot to publish it…sorry.

So, here I sit on the sofa by the window watching a blizzard outside, drinking tea. It’s colder than cold because of the 20-30mph winds and if I don’t write this I’m likely to go outside and attempt the futile task of shovelling the driveway!

Yesterday I had my counselling session and I brought up the subject of mentoring people to train their own ptsd service dog because the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Code allow it as some people can’t get help but would be discriminated against if only certain people could train and/or supply Service Dogs! After 35 minutes I realized I hadn’t shut-up about it and thats when I stopped over thinking…I’m going to do this…I’m going to be a PTSD Service Dog Mentor.I remember what it was like before Tonka was allowed to be my Service Dog…it sucked! It’s not perfect now but its real and I’m a part of it because of Tonka.

Not many people can afford $15-30,000 for a trained service dog and not many can wait 18-24 months to get one, have time or the emotional stability to fundraise or take the necessary handler training while still not being guaranteed the dog they trained with. Sure there are all kinds of groups that can help with funding and many “accredited” training schools to work with but there is still a group in society that can’t access these dogs due to different life circumstances or geographical location.

That is a niche that can to be filled by a Service Dog Mentor and I believe that I have a unique set of life skills that qualify me to be one!

• I am bi-polar, agoraphobic, ptsd from childhood trauma, disabling anxiety and hyper-awareness.
• helping my parents with their kennels and show dogs I couldn’t help but learn about dog behaviour and training, however I still get help training my own dogs because I can’t see what I’m doing!
• learned “clicker training” with my current dog, Tonka.
• been through the struggle and trained Tonka.
• challenged many times and have experience dealing with it.
• been refused entry to places and gained experience in discrimination as it applies to people with a disability under the Ontario Human Rights Code
• experience with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and mediation.
• previously sat on the Accessibility Advisory Committee for Gananoque
• developed a knowledge of the AODA while creating a 6 hour seminar on the AODA and Integrated Standards for the Town of Gananoque.
• I have good communication skills and have coaching skills from 14 years competitive soccer, mentoring and coaching people in business and life experience, presenting and creating seminars from Storytelling to the AODA

There are currently NO government “accredited” training agencies, schools, kennels or groups for Service Dogs in Ontario…none. The groups and kennels that do offer “trained dogs” are mostly legitimized because they are members of one or more national animal/dog training associations and have qualified trainers under those accreditations, who also have accessibility training…but nothing is governmentally approved, thats why the world of Service Dog’s is called a “Wild West” environment. Anyone can say that they can “certify” a dog! However, its not the training or the certification that makes a service dog a working Service Dog…its a letter proving that you require a service dog due to a disability, thats the only thing that matters!

The AODA legislation also has a provision that a person with a disability may train their own dog if they are able. The requirements are based on dog training institutions recommendations and there is a recommended method for public access testing but its not law.

• that the dog be leashed
• socialized to many environments and other dogs
• well behaved in public
• under control at all times
• that the dog  must perform 3 specific tasks to aid the person with a disability (task performance differentiates between Service and Therapy animals)
• while there is no government testing for Service Dogs, some industries like air transportation require that animals have a certification of training…for what, I’m not sure, ask if flying, I’ve not done that.

Note…be aware that, unfortunately, this “provider” also allows unscrupulous people from abusing the “self-training” clause by selling service dog capes and certifications so anyone can take their dog anywhere with them. Only thats not quite true…you are required to have a medically diagnosed disability that requires you to have a Service Dog AND you have to be able to produce a letter to that effect when asked (challenged). That you can’t buy!

The good news is that, that “provider” also allows me to mentor/train you to train your own dog legally. The huge benefit is that you start getting the benefits of a Service Dog immediately, even during the training period, which is huge. It could be a dog you own now or one that you need help finding. The whole process seemed daunting at first but in hindsight I can honestly say that, even with all the frustrating parts, the training was fun for me and Tonka, plus I learned so much about myself that I gained some new found confidence in my own abilities.

I am hoping to work with different mental health units on a referral basis so that I know that a disability is involved, immediate help would benefit an individual and its in an area that has little to no support for Service Animals.

The definition of a Service Dog and its use are defined under the Accessibility for Ontarian’s with Disabilities Act (AODA) and can be found under the Customer Service Standard of the IASR, Section’s 80.45 and 80.47.

PART IV.2
CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS

Scope and interpretation
80.45 (1) The standards set out in this Part apply to obligated organizations that are providers of goods, services or facilities. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

(2) In this Part, a reference to a provider is a reference to an obligated organization as a provider of goods, services or facilities, unless the context requires otherwise. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

(3) In this Part,

“guide dog” means a guide dog as defined in section 1 of the Blind Persons’ Rights Act; (“chien-guide”)

“service animal” means an animal described in subsection (4); (“animal d’assistance”)

“support person” means, in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods, services or facilities. (“personne de soutien”). O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

(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:

(i) A member of the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario.

(ii) A member of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario.

(iii) A member of the College of Nurses of Ontario.

(iv) A member of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario.

(v) A member of the College of Optometrists of Ontario.

(vi) A member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

(vii) A member of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.

(viii) A member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

(ix) A member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

Use of service animals and support persons

80.47 (1) This section applies if goods, services or facilities are provided to members of the public or other third parties at premises owned or operated by the provider and if the public or third parties have access to the premises. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

(2) If a person with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal, the provider shall ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and to keep the animal with him or her, unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law from the premises. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

(3) If a service animal is excluded by law from the premises, the provider shall ensure that other measures are available to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the provider’s goods, services or facilities. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

Subsections (4) thru (7) relate to Support Persons only so I’ve removed them. The subsections below (8) thru (10) dictate policy requirements of organizations not people in general. They are required to have a Service Dog policy and are to make sure that everyone is trained in not only the policy but also sensitivity and awareness training in how to interact with you and your Service Dog.

 

(8) Every provider, other than a small organization, shall prepare one or more documents describing its policies with respect to the matters governed by this section and, on request, shall give a copy of any such document to any person. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

(9) Every provider, other than a small organization, shall notify persons to whom it provides goods, services or facilities that the documents required by subsection (8) are available on request. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

(10) The notice required by subsection (9) may be given by posting the information at a conspicuous place on premises owned or operated by the provider, by posting it on the provider’s website, if any, or by such other method as is reasonable in the circumstances. O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.

Thats it folks…all that fear about what a Service Dog is about. This is what the beginning of a new life looks like. Permission to help yourself and I’m here to mentor those who need it.

 

 

 

 

Tonka Tip # 1: Service Dog definition in Ontario

I have taken the following from the Accessibility for Ontarian’s with a Disability Act, this is the definition of a Service Animal, it is the same definition used by the Provincial and Federal Human Rights Code, which is the same as the UN definition.

(9) For the purposes of this section, an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability,

(a) if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; or

(b) if the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability. O. Reg. 429/07, s. 4 (9).

The Law states that a Service Dog perform specific tasks to assist the handler, be under control at all time and be of good behaviour in public. It also states that the handler must be able to provide a letter of documentation from a health professional, when asked.

Bottom line…you must have a letter of documentation from a doctor/nurse/health professional stating you require a Service Dog, your dog must be obedience trained and properly socialized, dog must be able to be distracted and redirected when needed, must be under control (leashed in public) at all time, display good behaviour (housebroken) and trained to perform specific physical tasks to aid the handler. If challenged you may be required to prove your dog is legal…the letter is the only proof required. If challenged in Court your doctor or whoever can legitimize you…unless you’re a fake, then you’re in deep trouble!

Not all training can be done without help. Find a professional to help, someone who will mentor you if needed. Scent training is advanced training and should be done by a professional.

Many people think that they know what a Service Dog is and what it is for. So, heres a quick test.

1. All dogs wearing a cape are Service Dog’s.
2. How do you know when a Service Dog is working?
3. Service Dogs are trained not to play or bark.
4. A Service Dog will make you feel better.
5. Service Dogs perform specific tasks.
6. Anyone can have a Service Dog.
7. Any dog that fits in a purse can be a Service Dog.
8. All Service Dogs are the same.
9. Service Dogs can go anywhere.
10. A Therapy Dog is a type of Service Dog.

Answers:

1. False – many people put a cape on their dog so they can go in a restaurant or it may be a therapy dog which does not have the same exemptions that a service dog has…if you’re not sure ask for the persons “letter” (see 6)
2. Trick question – service dogs are always working, they never stop. The only reason they wear a cape is to make a disability apparent with the handler, which makes the dog legal, as long as the handler can produce the “letter” (see 6) when asked.
3. False – all dogs need to be dogs! They need to socialize/play with other dogs and playing with the handler is the way bonding occurs. Barking is also natural and normal training applies.
4. False – People make people feel better, service dogs help people be who they are and live independent, quality lives by performing specific tasks, so are considered a working dog.
5. True – the performance of specific tasks is what moves a dog into the working dog spectrum. Tasks may be as simple as “blocking” by laying in front to create space to sensing an attack through scenting or grounding through a leash.
6. False – only people who are diagnosed with a disability and who have written proof, in the form of a “Letter of Documentation”.
7. False
8. False – Some Service Dogs are use to detect changes in blood chemistry (scenting) and warn the handler, others assist people by performing physical tasks, others ground people or help with mobility issues and mental health issues. Guide Dogs for the blind are NOT Service Dogs and have separate legislation.
9. False – Service Dogs can go anywhere that the public or a third party can go as long as they are not excluded by Law. So, not quite anywhere but pretty much everywhere, as the handler its up to you to know.
10. False – a therapy dog can not have a letter of documentation stating it is required for a person with a disability because it doesn’t perform specific tasks.

Hopefully you got some new info out of the quiz. The point I was trying to get across is that  the handler/owner of a Service Dog in Ontario is required to carry a letter from a health professional (as per the AODA requirements) stating that they require a Service Animal or Dog. That letter is the only proof that you have a legal Service Dog and that it is exempt from certain Laws.

More and more people are trying to pass off their personal dogs as Service Dogs by purchasing a cape or certification online, then acting indignant when challenged. Unfortunately, business owners are not doing the required training and this has led to people being afraid to ask for proof and others being humiliated in public because of a lack of knowledge, which just makes everything worse! And those small dogs in bags are not service animals and are illegal everywhere that a normal dog is…again, lack of knowledge by Mall Cops!

Uh Oh! Dentist…

So every once in a while I needed to go to the Dentist…the anxiety and vulnerabilities were usually at some of their highest levels. As a child I was brutalized by a dentist and never wanted that experience again.

We moved to Canada and the dentist idea never came over the horizon…until that fateful day when at a more mature age, I couldn’t take the pain anymore. I had teeth that were rotten, others were hollow or chipped, my teeth were stained from coffee and smoking and my breath stank. When trying to freeze my mouth the gums were so bad that freezing was not really working. I watched smoke coming out of my mouth from the drilling, gripping the arms because of the pain, shaking in fear of the next tooth to be worked on and sweating so badly the dentist stopped to ask if I was okay and did I need a break. Of course the answer was “No”, what man can’t do a dentist…me! I walked out and never saw another for almost 20 years!

Five years ago we moved to Gananoque, Ontario. Now we had benefits from my wife’s new job…dentist appointments were made. Oh, yay!

This time though, there was a difference. This time I had Tonka as a Service Dog and we’d been training hard. I was sure that this visit would be different and it was…very, very different and not just for me, for everyone there that day.

We’d never been to the dentist before and I wasn’t sure if Tonka’s presence would help or not. After a consultation with everyone it was decided that I’d be sedated for all the initial work to be done because there was a lot AND I was terrified! Dr. Moe was great, reassuring me that all would be good.

I was sent home with a mild sedative that I was to take before bedtime so I could sleep. Arriving for my appointment at 8:30am I took a little stronger sedative.  At 9am, leaving Tonka with my wife, I was moved, wobbling, into the chair. There my gums were given a topical numbing agent, 5 minutes later my mouth was frozen and because I didn’t trust that my teeth would be frozen the Doc gave me another round of freezing. Almost asleep, the last thing I remember of that visit was a mask being placed over my face and as the darkness of unconsciousness overcame me, I heard Dr Moe say, “I like it better when they are out cold, give him a little gas!”

I awoke over an hour later, was helped out of the chair  and still groggy almost tripped over Tonka…what the? Everyone was asking how I was doing which was very confusing because I was still waking up. What was Tonka doing in here?

It would seem, now this is third-hand info because I was unconscious, it would seem that I had a major anxiety attack while out cold! They were about halfway through my work and thats when it happened, nobody actually said what happened for which I was morbidly thankful. They had my wife bring Tonka in and put him on my lap and it stopped…they couldn’t believe it but were adamant that was what happened. They left Tonka on my lap, my wife went back to the waiting room and they finished up the work with no more problems.

In fact, when I was refused entry at a local organization and filed a Human Rights Application for discrimination, the basis of the refusal was that Tonka was not a Service Dog. However, Dr Moe wrote a letter stating what he had seen happen and the results. The matter was settled, he was a Service Dog. That letter is a reminder that I do need help and that even when I don’t know it, he still helps me.

That visit was one of the first big changes in my life. I had a dentist who understood because he had experienced my disability and watched a Service Dogs magic work.

I’d been doing the therapy, social worker, hospital, doctor, pills, churchy, self-isolate, suicide and “getting healthy” thing again and again and again, with no result. Recently I’d found another councillor and we’d been able to build on top of my previous 5 years of work. I actually felt decent about myself, I had Tonka as a Service Dog, minimum pills and decided that I’d do one of those things that depressed, sad people forget to do and then just don’t…brush my teeth. Dr Moe was pretty assertive about me brushing and suggested Colgate Pro-Sensitive toothpaste and to use the same mouthwash as the two worked together. I did and the results were amazing, I haven’t had a cavity in two years and can get my teeth cleaned without being frozen.

Tonka has been relegated to the floor now but I’m still glad he’s there because it is still “The Dentist” and I still get anxious driving there, walking through the door and saying good morning, when for me its anything but!

Every once in a while I’ll still start heating up in the chair, reaching down and twirling his fur in my fingers solves that.

Service Dogs help people change their lives…they don’t do it for them. At the end of the day I’m still stuck being bi-polar, agoraphobic and suffering the effects of long term PTSD which present as hyper-vigilance and disabling anxiety! Along with diagnosed with borderline dissociative disorder, in other words…I have 12 people in my head but because I know who they are and don’t forget who I am, I’m okay, kind of?

My life has and continues to change since I’ve had Tonka become part of me. Thats how it really works you know…the dog becomes such a big part of your life, they become an extension of who you are and when that happens, when you finally get whats happening to you…thats when life becomes better, when even the constant vail of sadness can’t stop hope from shining, may gloom it out sometimes but Tonka always makes it sunny.

See ya next post,

Us

 

 

“Service Dog’s Rule…”

Well, here it is, our first post…

Not sure who we are? The dog’s name is Tonka and I’m Ben…together we live my life. Tonka is my Service Dog and goes everywhere with me. I know he doesn’t look like a Service Dog to you but I assure that he is and that he is legal.

There is a lot of confusion out there about Service Dog’s, especially here in Ontario as the Accessibility for Ontarian’s with a Disability Act is being implemented. Most people think they know about Service Dogs and Accessibility but they don’t really. Part of our hope is that we can change that through education.

Service Dogs cost a lot of money…between $15,000 and $30,000 with the wait times for one being in excess of 2 years! I couldn’t afford that or wait that long, even if I’d known at the time that a Service Dog would help me. And while a person still has to travel to be trained, they are not guaranteed to get the dog that they’ve been working with until then.

PTSD is not the easiest diagnosis to get to if you haven’t some kind of military or emergency responder background. People, even doctors, don’t get it…the stigma being if you’re not one of the aforementioned, you can’t have a problem!

Yet, I am living proof that you can. Due to trauma before the age of five I have suffered, unknowingly, ever since. In July of 2013 I was granted the use of a Service Dog due to symptoms of PTSD…and my life changed.

My future Service Dog was my own personal dog, Tonka.

Tonka was a pound rescue at 7 months old we adopted in 2010. He didn’t know his name but had a clue, he wasn’t housebroken and he didn’t know any commands. He was 3 years old in July 2013 and became a Service Dog…home schooled!

Anyone can home school with the right help, commitment and desire to learn in a fun way. Follow our continuing journey as we offer tips and guidance. I’m sure there will be lots of questions…we have the answer for 95% of them.

Have a great day, “Us”