Sask. veteran says service dog banned from church for alerting others of his distress
A Saskatchewan veteran has filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) after claiming his service dog was turned away at a Regina church sanctuary.
Dan Baker was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety after spending more than a decade in the military.
He and his wife found their dog Loki at a rescue shelter and trained him as a service dog. He completed his training in February 2022.
“If [Loki] senses I am anxious, he tries to block me or get me out of [a situation],” Baker explained. “Or he’ll put his head on my lap.”
After Baker suffered a heart attack last year, Loki was also trained to notify others should Baker fall.
“Usually for him, it’s to lick my face to check if I am okay,” Baker said.
Baker and his wife have attended ROC Church International in Regina for around five years.
In summer 2023, Baker fell while attending a Sunday service.
“[Loki] did what he is trained to do,” Baker recalled. “He came over and licked my face, but because I didn’t get up, he let out one bark.”
When Baker and his wife returned to service a few weeks later, he claimed Loki was not allowed inside.
“Their words were, ‘he disrupts the Holy Spirit,’” Baker said.
Baker added the experience has affected Loki as well.
“Since that day, I am the one comforting him,” he said. “Now I have a dog with PTSD.”
Baker feels he and his service dog have been discriminated against and has filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.
In an email to CTV News, the commission said it does not discuss or disclose the particulars of complaints for “privacy reasons.”
“In many cases, these negotiations provide a faster, more co-operative method of resolving complaints. If the matter cannot be settled, the Commission will investigate the matter,” the email read.
The Chief Commissioner could mediate or dismiss the case, send it to a hearing or deal with it another way.
The case could also be deferred to an alternative process more appropriate to resolving the matter.
ROC Church International did not return multiple calls requesting response to Baker’s complaint.
Baker hopes his experience can be a positive for others with service dogs, like Loki.
“Education is number one,” he said. “Service dogs are a medical aid, just like crutches or wheelchairs.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
Federal government posts $13B deficit in first half of the fiscal year
The Finance Department says the federal deficit was $13 billion between April and September.
Weather warnings for snow, wind issued in several parts of Canada
Winter is less than a month away, but parts of Canada are already projected to see winter-like weather.
Canadian news publishers suing ChatGPT developer OpenAI
A coalition of Canadian news publishers is suing OpenAI for using news content to train its ChatGPT generative artificial intelligence system.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Nick Cannon says he's seeking help for narcissistic personality disorder
Nick Cannon has spoken out about his recent diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, saying 'I need help.'
BREAKING Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery
Canada's top court has affirmed the constitutionality of a law that would allow British Columbia to pursue a class-action lawsuit against opioid providers on behalf of other provinces, the territories and the federal government.
Real GDP per capita declines for 6th consecutive quarter, household savings rise
Statistics Canada says the economy grew at an annualized pace of one per cent during the third quarter, in line with economists' expectations.