A local woman is working with the city to ensure no one has to face losing an emotional support animal due to housing restrictions like she did.
Single mom and university student Monica Stetar lost her emotional support animal Kiera a Siberian husky, after her landlord said she violated the leases no pet clause.
Now she is advocating for change to the Service Dog Act across Canada.
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According to the current Service Dog Act, emotional support animals are not classified as service dogs and don’t have the same rights to public space and housing.
Emotional support animals are used largely for helping those with mental illnesses, whereas service dogs are task oriented, helping people get through day to day activities.
Stetar has struggled with anxiety and depression for years and got Kiera after her friend recommended she look into getting an emotional support animal.
“You would think that having mental illnesses and a learning disability that you shouldn’t give someone like that responsibility. But that responsibility and routine made things easier in life, it made me feel more in control.”
But three months after getting Kiera, Stetar’s landlord gave her an eviction notice, for violating the leases no pet clause.
Despite having three medical documents stating she needed an emotional support animal, Stetar had to find Kiera a new home.
“Two weeks after I had to get rid of my dog, I was really angry. I asked around the university how I go about creating my own website to raise awareness about emotional support animals,” said Stetar.
Cedar Santanna Executive Director of Alpha K9, a company who trains service dogs for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, says emotional support animals can be tremendously beneficial and need their own category under the Service Dog Act.
“There are people who could benefit from an emotional support animal that don’t necessarily need a service dog and are applying for service dogs and that would take the burden off service dog providers and help us with the paper work.”
But Santanna added the one thing missing is the discussion of Canadian’s rights in general.
“We need to strike a balance because there does need to be designated dog free areas. But we as Canada need to sit down, everyone has the right to be healthy.”
Recently Stetar started a website helpmentalhealth.squarespace.com, along with an online petition.
She’s also started working with an MLA office to see what can be done to change the Act.
Constituency Assistant, Lisa Lambert says emotional support animals may fall under other legislation such as the Human Rights Act.
“We are looking at and perusing whether there is a reason to expand the Service Dog Act, we are currently doing research on it in the constituencies office.”
She also adds there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, but is encouraging people who have had similar problems with housing and emotional support animals to come forward and share their story.
