AODA Customer Service Standards
for Support Staff

3.1 Service Animals

An animal would be defined as a service animal if:

1. The person provides third party certification that their service animal has been trained to provide assistance that relates to that person's disability; or
2. It is readily identifiable that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to their disability; or
3. The person provides documentation from a regulated health professional confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to their disability.
4. A greater number of regulated health professionals can now provide documentation in support of an individual's need for a service animal. The complete list includes audiologists and speech-language pathologists, chiropractors, nurses, occupational therapist, optometrists, physicians, physiotherapists, psychologists and psychotherapists.

Most of us are used to seeing a guide dog accompany people with vision loss. But service animals also can be helpful to people with other disabilities. Service animals may help alert an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing to events around them. They can also warn a person of a seizure before it happens.

Service animals must be allowed to go everywhere with their owner. This includes restaurants, elevators, and offices. In all situations, the owner is responsible for looking after the animal.

Remember, service animals are working animals. You should never touch, call, or make eye contact with the animals. Don't distract them from their important job.