Service animals are welcome at all City facilities!

The City of Vaughan recognizes that service animals are a vital companion for many people in the community and welcomes them in all City facilities. Not only do service animals help improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by performing some of the tasks their handlers cannot do, they also save lives! 

If you encounter someone in the community with a service animal, here’s how you can help support them:

• Recognize that people can bring their service animals to any public space.
• Put the person first. Talk to the handler and not the dog.
• Assume independence. The service animal and the handler are one independent unit. The handler knows best how to handle their animal. If you think someone could use help, ask if or how you can help.
• Don’t distract service animals. Help service animals focus on their jobs by reserving snacks and cuddles for your pets at home. 

Under the City’s Animal Control By-law 066-2020 (PDF), a service animal is identifiable by a harness and trained by a recognized school for service as a guide dog for people who are blind or visually impaired, and deaf or hearing-impaired. A service animal can also be a special skills dog for other disabled people and includes an animal used in therapy, registered with a recognized organization for that purpose.

In Vaughan, there is no annual licence fee for owners who rely on a service animal, provided a certificate is presented from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides or other training organizations recognized by the Canadian Association of Guide and Assistance Dog Schools.

Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, privately owned businesses that serve the public, such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theatres, concert halls and sports facilities, are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed.

The City is committed to treating all people in a way that promotes dignity and independence and believes in integration and fair access for residents, visitors and employees with visible or non-visible disabilities.

For more information, visit the City’s service animals webpage.  

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