Service dogs like Bonnie provide invaluable support to children on the autism spectrum. They help improve emotional health, social interactions, and even safety. With the right training, these dogs become more than just pets; they become integral to the family's daily life.
Under the BC Human Rights Code, individuals with disabilities, including children like Mato, have the right to be accompanied by their service animals in public spaces. Businesses cannot legally refuse entry based solely on a lack of visible service dog identification. Education and awareness about these laws are crucial to prevent discrimination.
After the incident, the response from the community has been overwhelmingly supportive of Mato and Bonnie. Public discussions regarding the need for better training for restaurant staff and increased awareness around service animal laws are gaining traction. The restaurant involved has stated that they are taking the issue seriously and are committed to addressing the situation.
In Port Moody, a heartwarming story took a troubling turn when 12-year-old Mato, who is on the autism spectrum, was denied entry into a restaurant because of his service dog Bonnie. Bonnie, a two-year-old rescue dog, has become an essential part of Mato's life since joining his family from Mexico. This incident highlights the ongoing struggle for service dog accessibility and the lack of awareness among businesses regarding service animals. Despite varying regulations across Canada, service providers are required to accommodate individuals with disabilities and their service animals, as outlined in the BC Human Rights Code. Mato's father, John Wi, expressed his frustration, emphasizing that his son was unfairly treated based on incorrect assumptions about service dog identification.According to the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, a service dog means a dog that is certified as a service dog. Also, according to the act, a person must not falsely represent a dog as being a service dog. Every business in BC has the legal right to refuse animals on their premises UNLESS they are a service animal, and making that determination may require asking questions about the animals purpose, but NOT about the disability. In this case, since the dog was wearing a service dog in training vest, I would have left it at that, but it seems this dog was an emotional support animal, not a part of the service dog team.
The restaurant is not the bad guy here. Actually, Global news and the Westminster family may be breaking the law by misrepresenting an emotional support animal as a certified support animal. The restaurant has no legal obligation to let emotional support animals into their business. Actually, I know many customers who would prefer that the law be followed and that only certified support animals and not emotional support animals be allowed in businesses. There are too many people abusing this system. Sad what they did to this restaurant. They owe them an apology. Defamation of this restaurant may also be illegal.
A rescue dog from Mexico is not a recognized service dog that has specialized training under any law. I’m sure the little boy does get emotional support from it but that doesn’t mean it should be allowed anywhere like a seeing eye dog or service animal.
