Kenner Fee and his service dog
According to the Fee family, their 8-year old boy named Kenner Fee was not allowed by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board to bring his black Labrador Ivy to class since the presence of the animal would only place “undue hardship” on the school staff.
Kenner Fee is diagnosed with autism. His father, Craig Fee, says that the service dog helps his son calm down especially during anxiety attacks. If only the dog was allowed in class, things would definitely be easier for Kenner’s classmates and teachers. Craig stated, “They’re going to get a lot more learning and work done if my kid’s not shrieking at the top of his lungs or bolting from the schoolyard.”
The school board had two arguments regarding having the service dog in class. They said that they had the right to dictate whether to allow the dog or not since the school building is private property. Secondly, Kenner cannot manage the dog himself since he lacks fine motor skills. The Fees have fought for their son’s right and has gone to the province’s human rights tribunal.
David Lepofsky, a lawyer and disability rights advocate, has been concerned about the matter. He said that the school board should provide evidence that the dog’s presence would actually place “undue hardship” on the school staff and that they should consider alternative accommodations first. According to Vice-President Laura Kirby-McIntosh, the province has to establish an accessibility standard for education. She hopes that the outcome of the case would bring clarity on the matter.
Article source: Flamboroughreview.com
Are you an owner of an assistance animal?
The Service Animal Registry of California invites you to have your assistance animal registered in order to designate its status. We also encourage you to take our online classes so you can be fully aware of your rights and gain more knowledge about your support animal.
Finally, we present to you our book entitled, “ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS” to provide you with a complete education on assistance animals.
Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.
