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"Point in Time" Regulation Content

Guide Dog and Service Dog Act

Guide Dog and Service Dog Regulation

B.C. Reg. 223/2015

NOTE: Links below go to regulation content as it was prior to the changes made on the effective date. (PIT covers changes made from September 19, 2009 to "current to" date of the regulation.)
SECTIONEFFECTIVE DATE
Section 1 July 9, 2021
June 26, 2023
Section 1.1 July 9, 2021
Section 1.2 July 9, 2021
Part 1 July 9, 2021
Section 2 March 1, 2017
Section 3 June 26, 2023
Section 4 June 26, 2023
Section 8 July 9, 2021
Section 9 July 9, 2021
Section 10 July 9, 2021
Section 12 July 9, 2021
Section 13 July 9, 2021

 Section 1, definition of "accredited training school" (part) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

"accredited training school" means an organization that provides training programs respecting guide dogs or service dogs and is accredited by one or both of the following organizations:

 Section 1, definition of "dog-in-training certificate" BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

"dog-in-training certificate" means a certificate referred to in section 5 (1) (d) of the Act;

 Section 1, definitions of "identification card" and "photograph" were added by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

 Section 1, definition of "approved assesment organization" was added by BC Reg 164/2023, effective June 26, 2023.

 Section 1, definition of "BC guide dog and service dog assessment" BEFORE amended by BC Reg 164/2023, effective June 26, 2023.

"BC guide dog and service dog assessment" means a BC guide dog and service dog assessment that is approved by the registrar and administered by the Justice Institute of British Columbia;

 Section 1.1 was enacted by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

 Section 1.2 was enacted by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

 Part 1 BEFORE re-enacted by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

Part 1 — Issuance and Renewal of Certificates

Issuance of guide dog team certificate or service dog team certificate

2   (1) In this section:

"accredited practice facility" means the location, premises, structure or vehicle from which a person registered under the Veterinarians Act provides veterinary medicine services and that is accredited by the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia, and includes any equipment, supplies, records or documentation used in that facility;

"medical practitioner" includes an individual that the registrar is satisfied is authorized, under an enactment of a jurisdiction of Canada other than British Columbia or a jurisdiction of the United States of America, to practise medicine in a capacity that is at least equivalent to that of a medical practitioner in British Columbia;

"nurse practitioner" includes an individual that the registrar is satisfied is authorized, under an enactment of a jurisdiction of Canada other than British Columbia or a jurisdiction of the United States of America, to practise nursing in a capacity that is at least equivalent to that of a nurse practitioner in British Columbia;

"veterinarian" means

(a) an individual who is

(i) authorized under the Veterinarians Act to practise veterinary medicine, and

(ii) actively practising veterinary medicine at an accredited practice facility, or

(b) an individual that the registrar is satisfied is

(i) authorized, under an enactment of a jurisdiction of Canada other than British Columbia or a jurisdiction of the United States of America, to practise veterinary medicine in a capacity that is at least equivalent to that of a veterinarian authorized under the Veterinarians Act to practise veterinary medicine, and

(ii) actively practising veterinary medicine in a facility that is at least equivalent to an accredited practice facility.

(2) The registrar must not issue a guide dog team certificate or a service dog team certificate unless

(a) subject to subsection (3), the individual and the dog identified in the certificate have together successfully completed either

(i) a guide dog or service dog training program, as the case may be, provided by an accredited training school, or

(ii) a BC guide dog and service dog assessment, and

(b) the dog has been spayed or neutered.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) (a),

(a) subject to subsection (4), a training program referred to in subsection (2) (a) (i) must be completed not more than 90 days before the date the application for issuance of the certificate is received by the registrar, and

(b) a BC guide dog and service dog assessment referred to in subsection (2) (a) (ii) must be completed not more than 90 days after the date the application for issuance of the certificate is received by the registrar.

(4) Subsection (3) (a) does not apply if the individual and the dog referred to in subsection (2) (a) do not reside in British Columbia.

(5) If an individual and a dog that will be identified in a certificate referred to in subsection (2) have together successfully completed a training program referred to in subsection (2) (a) (i), the application for the issuance of the certificate must include or be accompanied by, in a form satisfactory to the registrar,

(a) a photograph of the individual, and

(b) written confirmation from the accredited training school that the individual and the dog together successfully completed the training program.

(6) If an individual and a dog that will be identified in a certificate referred to in subsection (2) have not together successfully completed a training program referred to in subsection (2) (a) (i), the application for the issuance of the certificate must include or be accompanied by, in a form satisfactory to the registrar,

(a) a photograph of the individual,

(b) written confirmation from a medical practitioner or a nurse practitioner that the individual is a blind person or a person with a disability, as the case may be, and

(c) written confirmation from a veterinarian that the dog has been spayed or neutered.

(7) Subsection (2) does not apply to the issuance of a certificate under section 12 (2) (b) of the Act.

[am. B.C. Reg. 58/2017, ss. 1 and 2.]

Renewal of guide dog team certificate or service dog team certificate

3   (1) The registrar must not renew a guide dog team certificate or a service dog team certificate unless, subject to subsection (2), the individual and the dog identified in the certificate have together successfully completed either

(a) an assessment administered by an accredited training school, or

(b) a BC guide dog and service dog assessment.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the assessment referred to in that subsection must be completed not more than 90 days before the date the application for renewal of the certificate is received by the registrar.

(3) An application for the renewal of a guide dog team certificate or a service dog team certificate must include or be accompanied by, in a form satisfactory to the registrar,

(a) a photograph of the individual who will be identified in the certificate, and

(b) in the case of an individual and a dog that have together successfully completed an assessment referred to in subsection (1) (a), written confirmation from the accredited training school that the individual and the dog together successfully completed the assessment.

(4) Subsection (1) does not apply to the renewal of a certificate referred to in section 12 (1) (a) (iii) or (b) (iii) of the Act or issued under section 12 (2) (b) of the Act.

Dog trainer certificate

4   (1) The registrar must not issue or renew a dog trainer certificate unless the individual who will be identified in the certificate trains dogs on behalf of an accredited training school for the purpose of the dogs becoming guide dogs or service dogs.

(2) An application for the issuance or renewal of a dog trainer certificate must include or be accompanied by, in a form satisfactory to the registrar,

(a) a photograph of the individual who will be identified in the certificate, and

(b) written confirmation from the accredited training school referred to in subsection (1) that the individual meets or continues to meet, as the case may be, the requirement described in that subsection.

Dog-in-training certificate

5   (1) The registrar must not issue or renew a dog-in-training certificate in respect of a dog unless

(a) the applicant is an authorized representative of an accredited training school, and

(b) the dog is being, or will be, trained by a dog trainer on behalf of the accredited training school for the purpose of the dog becoming a guide dog or a service dog.

(2) An application for the issuance or renewal of a dog-in-training certificate must include or be accompanied by, in a form satisfactory to the registrar, written confirmation from the accredited training school referred to in subsection (1) (a) that the dog referred to in subsection (1) meets or continues to meet, as the case may be, the requirement described in subsection (1) (b).

Retired guide or service dog team certificate

6   (1) An application for the issuance of a retired guide or service dog team certificate, in respect of an individual and a dog, must include or be accompanied by

(a) a photograph, in a form satisfactory to the registrar, of the individual who will be identified in the certificate, and

(b) the guide dog team certificate or service dog team certificate, as the case may be, previously issued under section 6 of the Act in respect of the individual and the dog.

(2) An application for the renewal of a retired guide or service dog team certificate must include or be accompanied by, in a form satisfactory to the registrar, a photograph of the individual who will be identified in the certificate.

 Section 2 (1) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 58/2017, effective March 1, 2017.

(1) In this section, "registered veterinarian" means an individual who is authorized under the Veterinarians Act to practise veterinary medicine.

 Section 2 (6) (c) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 58/2017, effective March 1, 2017.

(c) written confirmation from a registered veterinarian that the dog has been spayed or neutered.

 Section 3 (2) (b) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 164/2023, effective June 26, 2023.

(b) the registrar receives written confirmation from the Justice Institute of British Columbia that the requirements described in paragraph (a) and subsection (3) have been met, and

 Section 4 (3) (c) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 164/2023, effective June 26, 2023.

(c) the registrar must receive written confirmation from the Justice Institute of British Columbia that the requirements described in paragraph (a) have been met.

 Section 8 (2) (a) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

(a) an assessment administered by an accredited training school, or

 Section 9 BEFORE amended by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

Dog trainer certificates

9   It is a term and condition of every dog trainer certificate issued or renewed under section 6 of the Act that the holder of the certificate must, within 30 days after the occurrence, report to the registrar that the holder of the dog trainer certificate no longer trains dogs on behalf of the accredited training school referred to in the application for issuance of the certificate.

 Section 10 BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

Dog-in-training certificates

10   It is a term and condition of every dog-in-training certificate issued or renewed under section 6 of the Act that the holder of the certificate must, within 30 days after the occurrence, report to the registrar that the dog identified in the certificate has been permanently or indefinitely removed from the training program of the accredited training school referred to in the application for issuance of the certificate.

 Section 12 (1) and (2) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

(1) The registrar may cancel or refuse to renew a guide dog team certificate, a service dog team certificate or a dog-in-training certificate if the registrar is satisfied that the dog identified in the certificate acted or behaved, during the exercise of the right of entry and use specified in section 2 (1) of the Act, in a manner that threatened the safety of a person or another animal.

(2) The registrar may cancel a dog trainer certificate if the registrar is satisfied that the holder of the dog trainer certificate no longer trains dogs on behalf of the accredited training school referred to in the application for issuance of the certificate.

 Section 12 (3) BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

(3) The registrar may cancel a dog-in-training certificate if the registrar is satisfied that the dog identified in the certificate is permanently or indefinitely removed from the training program of the accredited training school referred to in the application for issuance of the certificate.

 Section 13 (2) (a) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 188/2021, effective July 9, 2021.

(a) the registrar has reasonable grounds to believe that the guide dog, service dog or dog-in-training identified in the certificate poses a risk to the safety of persons or other animals, or