Bill C-282 Service Dogs for Veterans Act
Bill C-282 An Act to Amend the Veterans Well-Being Act
Short Title: Service Dogs for Veterans Act
Bill Type: Private Member’s Bill
Bill Sponsor: Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes)
Status: Outside the Order of Precedence — Introduced June 3, 2026. This Bill has not passed yet.
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What is this Bill For?
Bill C-282 would add service dogs to the list of rehabilitation services available to veterans under the Veterans Well-being Act. Right now, veterans can access a range of rehabilitation supports, but service dogs are not explicitly included.
This Bill requires the Minister to assess whether each veteran's rehabilitation plan should include a service dog and gives the Minister authority to set regulations covering everything from dog health standards to training certification and financing.
WHO GAINS POWER
- The Minister of Veterans Affairs gains authority to make regulations governing every aspect of the service dog program — breeding, training, certification, financing and more
- Veterans gain an explicit right to have their need for a service dog assessed as part of their rehabilitation plan
WHO LOSES POWER
- No group loses direct power under this Bill
- Provinces are consulted on regulations but have no veto — the Federal Government sets the standards
WHO GAINS MONEY
- Service dog training organizations gain access to a Federally funded program and potential certification contracts
- Veterans who qualify gain access to a certified service dog at no personal cost through their rehabilitation plan
WHO LOSES MONEY
- The Federal Government bears the cost of providing, training and certifying service dogs for eligible veterans — the Bill does not specify a budget or cap on spending
THE CATCH
⚠️ "May include" is not a guarantee — The Bill says rehabilitation services may include service dogs, not that they must. The Minister retains discretion over whether any individual veteran actually receives one, even after an assessment determines it is needed.
⚠️ Assessment is required — approval is not — The Minister must assess whether a veteran needs a service dog, but there is no requirement to provide one if the assessment says yes. The assessment and the provision are two separate steps with no binding link between them.
⚠️ All standards set by regulation — Training standards, certification, financing and health requirements for service dogs are all left to regulation. Parliament sets none of these standards directly. They can be changed by the Minister without a vote.
⚠️ No timeline or wait time standard — The Bill sets no maximum wait time between assessment and provision of a service dog. Veterans could wait months or years with no enforceable deadline.
⚠️ No appeal mechanism — If a veteran is assessed as needing a service dog and is denied one, the Bill provides no formal appeal process.
This Bill is Outside the Order of Precedence and is unlikely to be debated unless drawn in the PMB lottery.