Service animal laws in Canada are much more restrictive than those covered by the ADA in America. Apparently this ferret gave the woman the ability to fight her agoraphobia, anxiety and panic attacks. What do you think about a ferret being a service animal.
Mohammed Adam, and Jake Rupert, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, August 16, 2008
An Ottawa woman has filed a complaint against OC Transpo for refusing to allow her to ride the bus with a ferret that helps her cope with stress and panic attacks.
Frances Woodard, 54, filed her disability complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency after OC Transpo revoked a pass that allowed her to carry the animal on the bus. She wants the permit restored.
Ms. Woodard suffers from agoraphobia, anxiety and panic attacks that prevent her from going out in public. She says however, that these attacks are mitigated by having her pet, a three-year-old albino ferret named Gyno, with her when she is around people, especially on the bus. Last fall, Ms. Woodard had a special pass to take Gyno on the bus, but it was revoked by the transit company, which said the animal is untrained for the purposes of therapy and therefore doesn’t qualify as a “service animal” under city bylaws.
Ms. Woodard says since her permit was revoked, she has been confined to her home, unable to venture out in public.
In her complaint, she says the ferret is certified for therapy and by refusing to let her on the bus with the pet, OC Transpo is discriminating against her because of her disability.
The company has 30 days to respond, but city lawyers say preliminary discussions have begun with the CTA to refer the case to mediation.
Councillor Maria McRae, chair of the transportation committee, is furious with city staff for allowing the situation to get out of hand. She wants OC Transpo to reverse the ban immediately. Ms. McRae said it would cost the city a lot of money to litigate the matter, and she wants it settled now.
“I don’t know why we don’t let the ferret on the bus. Is it really that big of a deal that we have to treat a disabled person this way and spend thousands of taxpayers dollars litigating this?”
Ms. McRae said Ms. Woodard has a clear diagnosis of a disability, and her own research has unearthed many documented cases where a person with the type of disorder the woman has gets comfort from ferrets. She said the city is not in a position to overrule science, and she will be fighting at next week’s transit committee meeting to “make this right.”
She said the decision leaves the impression that the city discriminates against people with disabilities even as it is contemplating allowing people who are not disabled to bring pets on buses. The transit committee will vote next week on whether to allow small pets in cages on the bus with their owners.
“We’ll let regular people with pets to take the animals on buses, but we are denying a disabled person the right to take a service animal on the bus,” she said. “It’s astounding to think that this is our position.”
© The Ottawa Citizen 2008
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello I suffer from the same disabilities as Mrs Woodard, and use my ferrets in a similar manner. I personally believe that PETS should not be allowed on the bus period. UNLESS it is a documented disability situation and the animal helps the handler in some way!!!
Ontarios public transit is going to be a zoo if they allow PETS. Service animals only please
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