I am deafened, I depend on a hearing aid to communicate effectively with people and I also depend on a hearing ear service dog from the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.  I've been a supporter of service dogs for many years and read many articles, listened to the news and heard countless stories of folks trying to pass their family dog as a service dog so that they can take their family pet out in public.  These family dogs are typically not trained to be in various environments like loud streets, busy shopping malls with countless strangers wanting to pet them, or in scary airplane rides with turbulence, etc.  Those situations can be very stressful for family dogs who are accustomed to staying in the comfort of their home.  Their behaviour can be drastically different compared to when they are at home, and this drastic change of behaviour (often aggressive behaviour) can come as a surprise to any owner, no matter how well trained they are - at home!!   

Right now it's a "free for all".  Family doctors are unknowingly putting society at risk by giving a medical note to patients attesting to the notion that they need their family pet dogs with them at all times for medical reasons, with no means of ensuring that a dog can handle the stress of being in any kind of environment.  I find it cruel to put an untrained dog in stressful situations they were never exposed to.  There are service dog vests being made by organizations that benefit from uninformed people wanting to bring their family dog out in public with them.  I have seen individuals on social media trying to sell their service dog vests. It really is a "free for all".

The Canadian General Standards Board attempted to create a Federal Standard for Service Dogs a few years ago.  I was involved in the development of that Standard.  It was an interesting learning experience for me to try to understand all the nuances of service dogs.  I do not know it all because I participated halfway through the discussions and development of that Standard.  I do not understand the intricacies of why this Federal Standard was not developed and turned into Federal Law.  But I know without a doubt that we need to see some sort of Federal Law that oversees all provincial, and municipal laws related to service dogs.    Please help me sign this petition to get the Federal Government of Canada to act on this issue because it puts more people in danger.  The petition is not to find a solution, but to let the Federal Government know that there is a need out there and Canadians want the Federal Government to step in and react.