N.S. man with PTSD denied entry to rink over documentation for service dog
Global News
A Nova Scotia man speaks out after being denied entry into a community centre with his service dog, who is trained to assist him medically.
A Nova Scotia man with PTSD and diabetes says he was denied entry to a local community centre for a hockey game because he could not provide documentation for his service dog, despite the critical role the dog plays in looking after him.
Darren Cox, a former bodyguard, relies on his service dog Calaway to help manage stress and monitor his health. Calaway is specifically trained to assist Cox during medical emergencies and pick up on signs that Cox is in need of assistance, like instances where he faints due to his diabetes.
The two have been inseparable for five years since Calaway was trained as a young pup in the U.S. and brought to Canada to look after Cox.
“We probably know each other better than best friends,” Cox said.
The pair ran into a problem last week, when Cox encountered an unexpected obstacle while trying to attend a hockey game at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro.
Upon arriving at the local community centre, Cox says he was stopped by a security guard who said that he needed to show provincial ID for his service dog. Cox had documentation for Calaway from the U.S, where he was trained, but did not have a Nova Scotia-issued ID for the dog. Cox told Global News that he was caught off guard and had never been asked for such documentation before.
“We showed up with tickets in hand, (Calaway) all in his gear. And a security guard approached me, saying I needed ID. I was like, ‘I’ve never heard of that. I was led to believe I had done everything by the book,'” Cox recounted. Following what Cox calls a “discriminatory” encounter, he returned home.
Cox believes he should have the same accessibility to public events as other attendees, especially considering the dog’s role in emergency situations.
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