NDP Veterans Affairs critic tables bill to help veterans in getting service dogs

OTTAWA – On Tuesday, the first day of Veterans Week, NDP Veterans Affairs critic Rachel Blaney (North Island – Powell River) tabled a private members bill that would make sure all veterans who need a service animal can get one. Veterans face many barriers to getting a service dog, including high costs and uncertainty regarding their training—Blaney’s bill would lift those barriers and make national standards mandatory.

“After serving our country, many brave veterans come back with trauma, PTSD and physical disabilities. Service animals help our veterans heal and adapt to life post-service,” said Blaney. “But for many veterans, there are a lot of barriers. Some providers will charge tens of thousands of dollars for a service animal without ensuring the animal has the proper training. We need to make sure this isn’t happening; our veterans deserve that at the least.”

Blaney’s bill would create a framework to enhance the provision of animal-assisted services to veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs and national standards to define what training veteran’s service animal has and to force the government to provide animal-assisted service to veterans.

“For generations, the Liberals and the Conservatives have put veterans on the back burner,” added Blaney. “The Liberals over-charge veterans for long-term care and leave women veterans out of the conversation, while Conservatives cut pensions and closed nine veteran affairs centres.

It’s time we do better by our veterans, so I’m calling on the government to support New Democrats in making sure all veterans can get a service animal if they need one.”