BILL NO. 116
(as introduced)
2nd Session, 62nd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
64 Elizabeth II, 2015
Service Dogs Act
Tim Houston
Pictou East
First Reading: May 8, 2015
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act Respecting the Rights of Persons
with Guide Dogs or Service Dogs
1 This Act may be cited as the Service Dogs Act.
(a) "Minister" means the Minister of Service Nova Scotia;
(b) "guide dog" means a dog that
(c) "guide-dog team" means a blind person and a guide dog that are certified as a guide-dog team;
(d) "service dog" means a dog, other than a guide dog, that
(e) "service-dog team" means a person with a disability and a service dog that are certified as a service-dog team.
3 (1) This Act applies notwithstanding any other enactment.
(2) This Act is binding on Her Majesty in right of the Province.
4 The Minister has the general supervision and management of this Act.
5 (1) Subject to this Section and the regulations, upon application by an individual in accordance with the regulations, the Minister may issue or renew one or more of the following:
(a) in the case of a blind person, a certificate certifying that
(b) in the case of a person with a disability, a certificate certifying that
(ii) the person with a disability and the dog are a service-dog team;
(c) a certificate certifying an individual as a dog trainer;
(d) a certificate certifying a dog as a dog-in-training;
(e) a certificate certifying an individual and a dog as a retired guide-dog or service-dog team.
(2) An application under subsection (1) must include by any information or document required by the regulations.
(3) The Minister may issue identification cards in addition to or in place of certificates.
(4) Nothing in this Act requires a person accompanied by a guide dog or a service dog to display a certificate or identification card issued under this Act.
6 No person shall falsely represent a dog as being a member of a guide-dog team, service-dog team, a retired guide-dog or service-dog team or a dog-in-training team.
(a) deny to any person the accommodation, services or facilities available in any place to which the public is customarily admitted; or
(b) discriminate against any person with respect to the accommodation, services or facilities available in any place to which the public is customarily admitted or the charges for the use thereof,
because that person is accompanied by a guide dog or a service dog.
(a) deny to any person occupancy of any self-contained dwelling unit; or
(b) discriminate against any person with respect to any term or condition of occupancy of any self-contained dwelling unit,
because that person is keeping or is customarily accompanied by a guide dog or a service dog.
9 A prohibition in Section 7 or 8 applies whether done directly or indirectly, done alone or with another, done by a person himself or herself or done by a person through the interposition of another.
10 (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) specifying those animals or classes of dog that are guide dogs or service dogs;
(b) specifying the conditions that must be met for an animal to become or to continue to be a guide dog or service dog;
(c) prescribing the form of, and information or documents to be included in, an application under this Act;
(d) prescribing the form of certificates and identification cards;
(e) respecting any matter the Governor in Council considers necessary or advisable to effectively carry out the intent and purpose of this Act.
(2) The exercise by the Governor in Council of the authority in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2015 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created May 8, 2015. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
