[nagdu] Manitoba guide /service dog protection law

[Jenine Stanley]

Saw this on another list and thought it might be of interest. 


news release
8 June 2009
For immediate release
LEGISLATORS LOOK TO PROTECT GUIDE DOGS AND OTHER SERVICE ANIMALS Sharon
Blady, the MLA for Kirkfield Park, introduced a private member's bill in the
legislature today that would protect guide dogs and other service animals
such as search-and-rescue dogs. The proposed legislation, the first of its
kind in Canada, would make it an offence to interfere with service animals
or to allow other animals to do so without consent.
Blady said the need for such legislation came to light in 2005 when a guide
dog belonging to a visually impaired woman was attacked by another dog in
Winnipeg. As a result, the traumatized guide dog could no longer perform his
duties, and the owner had to take the dog to New York for costly retraining.
Existing animal protection laws, including the Criminal Code, provide
penalties for injuring or killing animals, but say nothing about interfering
with the ability of service animals to do the work that they were trained
for. Blady's bill would fill this gap, providing fines of up to $5,000 for a
first offence, and allowing judges to order the offender to pay compensation
to the owner.
Blady began consultations with disabilities organizations, visually impaired
individuals and law enforcement and fire/paramedic agencies on her proposal
last July. "They told me that the public is largely unaware that interfering
with a service animal without the owner's consent can affect its ability to
perform their duties. My hope is that this bill will generate more public
awareness of the special status of these animals."
Janet Hunt, who owes her independence to her seeing-eye dog, said "It's hard
to believe that someone would interfere with or harm a working service
animal, but it happens. I'm very pleased about this proposed protection
law," said a member of the mayor's Access Advisory Committee.
"I hope it helps people understand the intense training these animals go
through to do their jobs, and how important it is to allow them to do their
jobs properly."
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The bill can also be found at
http://web2.gov.mb.ca/bills/39-3/index.php.
For more information please contact Sharon Blady at 945-0932
(legislature) or 832-2318 (constituency office).

 Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com