It's illegal to discriminate against a visually impaired Canadian in need of a guide dog.
In Ontario, the law has been active for almost fifty years, but the Canadian National Institution for the Blind Foundation says handlers are still experiencing discrimination on a regular basis.
"If I feel like I want to go for a walk fo the sake of going for a walk, I can do that. It's made me a lot more independent – it really made a lot of different improvements in a lot of areas. Even just going to different environments, it's not as overwhelming as it used to be," said guide dog handler Guy Carriere.
But despite this, the two are still experiencing discrimination.
"It's still a very common occurrence, it shouldn't be, but it still happens and we need to put an end to it," said Carriere.
As part of Dog Awareness Month, the CNIB Foundation is calling for a cultural shift.
"When you experience it, even if there is that chance of experiencing it, you're constantly kind of on alert," said Stephanie Pilon, CNIB Foundation.
Pilon says it's been known that business owners sometimes don't realize they have to accommodate the dog, and sometimes just outright refuse to.
She wants people to know these dogs are not pets.
"Guide dogs do serious work and it's really important that people, particularly business owners, understand and respect that," said Pilon.
She says she hopes local businesses will take advantage of window decals that inform everyone that guide dogs are welcome in particular establishments.
Anyone caught refusing service to a blind individual who is accompanied by a guide dog could face a fine of up to $5,000.
