This consolidation is unofficial and is for reference only.  For the official version of the regulations, consult the original documents on file with the Office of the Registrar of Regulations, or refer to the Royal Gazette Part II.
Regulations are amended frequently.  Please check the list of Regulations by Act to see if there are any recent amendments to these regulations filed with our office that are not yet included in this consolidation.
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this electronic version, the Office of the Registrar of Regulations assumes no responsibility for any discrepancies that may have resulted from reformatting.
This electronic version is copyright © , Province of Nova Scotia, all rights reserved.  It is for your personal use and may not be copied for the purposes of resale in this or any other form.


Service Dogs Regulations

made under Section 19 of the

Service Dog Act

S.N.S. 2016, c. 4

O.I.C. 2018-165 (effective June 27, 2018), N.S. Reg. 94/2018



Table of Contents


Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.
Click here to go to the text of the regulations.


 

Citation

Definitions

Form of certificate and identification card

Identification cards

Secondary handlers for service dog teams

Issuing and Renewing Certificates

Term of certificates

Training requirements for service dog team certificate

Persons or organizations designated to perform service dog assessments

Reassessment of service dog team required by Registrar

Service dog team certificate application

Renewing service dog team certificate

Dog-in-training team certificate application

Dog-in-training removed from service dog training program

Dog trainer no longer training dogs for accredited training school

Retired service dog team certificate application

Retired service dog dies or no longer resides with certificate holder

Temporary certificates

Replacing lost, stolen or damaged certificate

Cancelling or Refusing to Renew Certificates

Change in contact information

Registrar must be notified of changes to service dog team

Registrar must be notified if dog attacks, bites or injures person or animal

Cancellation of certificate if service dog acts in threatening manner

          False or misleading information in application 

Notice of intention to cancel certificate


 

Citation

1       These regulations may be cited as the Service Dogs Regulations.


Definitions

2       In the Act and these regulations,

 

“accredited training school” means an organization that provides training programs respecting service dogs and is accredited by, or has candidacy status with, 1 of the following organizations:

 

                           (i)     Assistance Dogs International,

 

                           (ii)    International Guide Dog Federation;

 

“Act” means the Service Dog Act;

 

“application” means an application for a certificate or renewal of a certificate;

 

“day” means a calendar day;

 

“designated organization” means an entity designated by the Register to perform a service dog assessment;

 

“medical practitioner” means an authorized medical practitioner as defined in the Medical Act, or an individual that the Registrar is satisfied is authorized to practise medicine under an enactment of a jurisdiction of Canada, other than the Province, or a jurisdiction of the United States of America in a capacity that is at least equivalent to that of a medical practitioner in the Province;

 

“nurse practitioner” means an authorized nurse practitioner as defined in the Registered Nurses Act, or an individual that the Registrar is satisfied is authorized to practise nursing under an enactment of a jurisdiction of Canada, other than the Province, or a jurisdiction of the United States of America in a capacity that is at least equivalent to that of a nurse practitioner in the Province;

 

“retired service dog team certificate” means a certificate issued for a retired service dog team;

 

“secondary handler” means a parent or legal guardian of the human member who is their primary support for day-to-day living and may require access to public places with the service dog when the human member is not present;

 

“service dog assessment” means an assessment to determine whether an individual and dog meet the conditions, qualifications and requirements necessary to be issued a certificate as a service dog team in accordance with Section 8;

 

“service dog team certificate” means a certificate issued for a service dog team;

 

“veterinarian” means an individual who is authorized under the Veterinary Medical Act to practise veterinary medicine in the Province or an individual that the Registrar is satisfied is authorized to practise veterinary medicine under an enactment of a jurisdiction of Canada, other than the Province, or a jurisdiction of the United States of America in a capacity that is at least equivalent to that of a veterinarian authorized under the Veterinary Medical Act to practise veterinary medicine.


Form of certificate and identification card

3       A certificate may be combined with an identification card and issued in the same form.


Identification cards

4       An individual who is issued an identification card must carry and produce the identification card on request.


Secondary handlers for service dog teams

5       (1)     A service dog team certificate may designate a secondary handler who may access public places with the dog member of the service dog team.

 

         (2)     A secondary handler must comply with all duties and requirements, including any required training, that a human member must comply with under the Act and these regulations.

 

         (3)     Despite subsection (2), the Registrar may require only 1 of the human member and secondary handler to comply with the requirements to provide notice in Sections 16, 20 and 21.

 

         (4)     A secondary handler must be issued an identification card identifying the individual as a secondary handler for a specified service dog team.


Issuing and Renewing Certificates


Term of certificates

6       (1)     The term of a certificate is as set out in the following table:


Certificate

Term

service dog team

2 years

dog trainer

2 years

dog-in-training

2 years

retired service dog team

expires on death of dog

 

         (2)     When a retired service dog dies, the retired service dog team certificate must be returned to the Registrar.


Training requirements for service dog team certificate

7       (1)     The Registrar may not issue a service dog team certificate unless all of the following conditions are met:

 

                   (a)   the individual and the dog identified in the application have together successfully completed 1 of the following in accordance with the deadlines specified in subsection (2):

 

                           (i)     a service dog training program provided by an accredited training school,

 

                           (ii)    a service dog assessment;

 

                   (b)  the dog has been spayed or neutered by a veterinarian.

 

         (2)     For the purposes of clause (1)(a),

 

                   (a)   the service dog training program required by subclause (1)(a)(i) must be completed no earlier than 90 days before the date the application is received by the Registrar; and

 

                   (b)  the service dog assessment required by subclause (1)(a)(ii) must be completed no later than 90 days after the date the application is received by the Registrar.

 

         (3)     Despite subclause 7(1)(a)(i), the Registrar may issue a service dog team certificate to an applicant who does not reside in the Province if the individual and the dog identified in the application have received training acceptable to the Registrar.


Persons or organizations designated to perform service dog assessments

8       (1)     A service dog assessment must be performed by 1 of the following:

 

                   (a)   a designated organization;

 

                   (b)  a person designated by the Registrar.

 

         (2)     The Registrar may designate an organization or person to perform service dog assessments.

 

         (3)     The Registrar may revoke a designation made under subsection (2) by notice in writing to the organization or person.


Reassessment of service dog team required by Registrar

9       On receiving written notice from the Registrar, the human member of a service dog team must successfully complete 1 of the following within the time specified by the Registrar:

 

                   (a)   an assessment administered by an accredited training school;

 

                   (b)  a service dog assessment.


Service dog team certificate application

10     All of the following is prescribed as the information and documents to be included under clause 6(2)(b) of the Act in an application for a service dog team certificate:

 

                   (a)   the applicant’s full legal name, date of birth, address, telephone number and e-mail address;

 

                   (b)  for any secondary handler to be designated in the certificate, their full legal name, date of birth, address, telephone number and e-mail address;

 

                   (c)   the dog’s breed, sex, colour, identifying marks and name;

 

                   (d)  a colour photograph in portrait format that clearly depicts both the applicant and the dog taken no earlier than 3 months before the date of the application;

 

                   (e)   for an applicant who has completed a service dog training program provided by an accredited training school, written confirmation from the school that the applicant and dog have successfully completed the training program, and the date the program was completed;

 

                   (f)   for an applicant who is required to complete a service dog assessment,

 

                           (i)     written confirmation from a medical practitioner or a nurse practitioner that the applicant is a person with a disability,

 

                           (ii)    written confirmation from a veterinarian that the dog has been spayed or neutered,

 

                           (iii)   written confirmation from the designated organization or person that performed the assessment that the applicant and dog have successfully completed the assessment, to be submitted no later than 90 days after the date the application is received by the Registrar;

 

                   (g)  any information or documents that the Registrar considers necessary to assess whether the applicant and dog satisfy all of the conditions, qualifications and requirements in the Act and these regulations.


Renewing service dog team certificate

11     (1)     All of the following is prescribed as the information and documents to be included under clause 6(2)(b) of the Act in an application for renewing a service dog team certificate:

 

                   (a)   all of the information required by Section 10, except for clause 10(f);

 

                   (b)  written confirmation from a designated organization or person that the applicant and dog have successfully completed the service dog assessment required by subsection (2).

 

         (2)     No later than 90 days before applying to renew a service dog team certificate, an applicant must complete a service dog assessment.


Dog-in-training team certificate application

12     (1)     The Registrar must not issue or renew a dog-in-training team certificate unless all of the following criteria are met:

 

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

 

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

 

         (2)     All of the following is prescribed as the information and documents to be included under clause 6(2)(b) of the Act in an application for the issuance or renewal of a dog-in-training team certificate:

 

                   (a)   the applicant’s full legal name, date of birth, address, telephone number and e-mail address;

 

                   (b)  a colour photograph in portrait format that clearly depicts both the applicant and the dog taken no earlier than 3 months before the date of the application;

 

                   (c)   the dog-in-training’s breed, sex, colour, identifying marks and name;

 

                   (d)  written confirmation from the accredited training school that the dog-in-training meets the requirement in clause (1)(b);

 

                   (e)   the name of each dog trainer who will be responsible for training the dog-in-training;

 

                   (f)   written confirmation from the accredited training school that the applicant has a valid service dog training accreditation for the purpose of training service dogs.


Dog-in-training removed from service dog training program

13     (1)     No later than 30 days after a dog-in-training is permanently or indefinitely removed from the service dog training program of the accredited training school stated in the dog-in-training team certificate application for the dog, the dog’s dog trainer must notify the Registrar of the dog’s removal from the program.

 

         (2)     The Registrar may cancel a dog-in-training team certificate if the Registrar is satisfied that the dog identified in the certificate is permanently or indefinitely removed from the service dog training program of the accredited training school stated in the application for the certificate.


Dog trainer no longer training dogs for accredited training school

14     (1)     A dog trainer who no longer trains dogs for the accredited training school stated in the application for their certificate must notify the Registrar of this fact no later than 30 days after the date they cease to train dogs for the accredited training school.

 

         (2)     The Registrar must cancel a dog trainer certificate if the Registrar is satisfied that the dog trainer no longer trains dogs on behalf of the accredited training school stated in the application for their certificate.


Retired service dog team certificate application

15     All of the following is prescribed as the information and documents to be included under clause 6(2)(b) of the Act in an application for a retired service dog team certificate:

 

                   (a)   a colour photograph in portrait format that clearly depicts both the applicant and the dog taken no earlier than 3 months before the date of the application;

 

                   (b)  1 of the following certificates:

 

                           (i)     the service dog team certificate issued to the applicant,

 

                           (ii)    a certification for the applicant and dog to act as a team that was issued by an accredited training school either before or after the coming into force of the Act or these regulations.


Retired service dog dies or no longer resides with certificate holder

16     The human member of a retired service dog team must notify the Registrar [of] any of the following no later than 30 days after it occurs:

 

                   (a)   the dog identified in a retired service dog certificate dies;

 

                   (b)  the dog identified in a retired service dog certificate no longer resides with the certificate holder.


Temporary certificates

17     (1)     The Registrar may issue a temporary certificate to an individual and a dog that hold valid certification in a jurisdiction outside the Province if all of the following conditions are met:

 

                   (a)   the individual and dog need to enter the Province for a specified period of time;

 

                   (b)  the requirements and training in the jurisdiction in which the individual and dog hold certification are considered by the Registrar to be at least equivalent to those required by the Act and these regulations.

 

         (2)     A temporary certificate must state the time period for which it is valid.


Replacing lost, stolen or damaged certificate

18     The human member of a service dog team or retired service dog team or a dog trainer may apply to the Registrar to replace a lost, stolen or damaged certificate, in the form and manner required by the Registrar.


Cancelling or Refusing to Renew Certificates


Change in contact information

19     A certificate holder must notify the Registrar of any change in the certificate holder’s name or mailing address no later than 30 days after the date of the change.


Registrar must be notified of changes to service dog team

20     The human member of a service dog team must notify the Registrar of any of the following no later than 30 days after the date it occurs:

 

                   (a)   the dog identified in the certificate retires, dies, becomes permanently disabled or is otherwise unable to perform the functions of a service dog;

 

                   (b)  the individual or the dog identified in the certificate ceases to meet any of the conditions, qualifications or requirements of the Act or these regulations;

 

                   (c)   the human member of the service dog team no longer requires the assistance of a service dog.


Registrar must be notified if dog attacks, bites or injures person or animal

21     No later than 5 days after the date it occurs, the human member of a service dog team must notify the Registrar of any incident in which the dog member of the team attacks, bites or injures a person or animal.


Cancellation of certificate if service dog acts in threatening manner

22     The Registrar may cancel or refuse to renew a certificate if the Registrar is satisfied that the dog identified in the certificate acted or behaved in a manner that threatened the safety of a person or animal.

 

False or misleading information in application                                                                    

23     The Registrar may cancel or refuse to renew a certificate if the Registrar is satisfied that the certificate holder’s application contains false or misleading information.


Notice of intention to cancel certificate

24     (1)     Except as provided in subsection (2), before cancelling a certificate, the Registrar must notify the certificate holder in writing that the Registrar intends to cancel their certificate.

 

         (2)     The Registrar is not required to send notice under subsection (1) in either of the following circumstances:

 

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

 

                   (b)  the certificate holder has not complied with the change in contact information requirement in Section 19.

 

 


 

Legislative History
Reference Tables

Service Dogs Regulations

N.S. Reg. 94/2018

Service Dog Act

Note:  The information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

Source Law

The current consolidation of the Service Dogs Regulations made under the Service Dog Act includes all of the following regulations:

N.S.
Regulation

In force
date*

How in force

Royal Gazette
Part II Issue

94/2018

Jun 27, 2018

date specified

Jun 22, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following regulations are not yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:

N.S.
Regulation

In force
date*

How in force

Royal Gazette
Part II Issue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for rules about in force dates of regulations.

Amendments by Provision

ad. = added
am. = amended

fc. = fee change
ra. = reassigned

rep. = repealed
rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

..........................................................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note that changes to headings are not included in the above table.

Editorial Notes and Corrections:

 

Note

Effective
date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repealed and Superseded:

N.S.
Regulation

Title

In force
date

Repealed
date

 

 

 

 

Note:  Only regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this table.  It may not reflect the entire history of regulations on this subject matter.