A Laval woman is facing eviction because of her dog after a long journey to get it certified.
Lisa Smith has ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that causes inflammation of the spine.
She said she couldn't survive without her dog, Kenya.
“I have trouble getting out of bed easily, so my dog is trained to get his tug toy when I first wake up. He pulls me out of bed and gets me my slippers,” she said.
Health problems have left her with stiff back and arms and she uses a wheelchair. One of Kenya's biggest tasks is picking up items that have fallen on the floor.
“I have 'puffiness' especially in my left hand and I keep dropping everything. She picks up pens, she picks up spoons, she picks up my glasses,” Smith explained.
She got Kenya about a year ago and trained her to do these tasks.
Smith has a doctor's note stating she needs a service dog, as well as a letter from the Laval Regional Health Board stating her dog is obedient and obedient.
Kenya's food and veterinary costs are covered by Quebec's Workplace Safety and Health Commission (CNESST).
Despite this, Smith is still waiting to receive his official Kenyan certification papers.
Lisa Smith worries about being evicted because of her dog Kenya (CTV News)
Disability rights group RAPLIQ says certification is only granted under certain circumstances.
“Not just anyone can train a service dog unless they have a certification that proves the dog is well-trained, well-behaved and able to provide the service it's meant to provide,” said Steven Laperriere, general manager of RAPLIQ.
He said the training the organization must undertake could take 15 to 18 months.
Smith said she couldn't wait that long: She received a letter from her landlord saying she was being evicted because she has a dog and two cats.
CTV News has reached out to the landlord but has not yet heard back.
“I can't sleep at night, I get so stressed, and every time I get stressed, I get sicker,” she says.
Quebec's Charter of Rights says tenants can't be evicted for having a service animal, but Laperriere said there's a lot of confusion about what qualifies as a service animal and which training organizations can be trusted. Laperriere said the government should step up regulation.
Smith now worries that others may be finding themselves in a similar situation.
“I'm fighting because no one should have to go through this, especially a single woman living alone,” she said.
Smith said she wants to move because of her illness, plus the stress of being recognized for the dog that helps her every day.
