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Islander experiencing homelessness says no-pet rules limit access to services

Steve Wotton spends most of his days strolling Charlottetown streets, dragging two procuring carts he fills with cans, his canine Nova on a leash by his facet.

Shelters and the Charlottetown Outreach Centre do not enable animals except they’re a licensed service canine, mentioned Wotton, who’s experiencing homelessness.

“I would like this canine as a result of I’m in a state of affairs proper now the place I’ve no household. She is the one being on this earth that’s by my facet,” Wotton mentioned.

“After I take an epileptic assault she is there to inform any individual, in her manner, that I’m having an epileptic assault or she retains me acutely aware so I can name any individual for assist.”

Wotton mentioned he worries that with out Nova by his facet, he might die.

“I can identify not less than 5 conditions the place I could not assist myself. I might have choked on my tongue.”

Wotton is on a ready record for pet pleasant housing, however has had no luck but. (Tony Davis/CBC)

The Charlottetown Outreach Centre will not even enable the canine on the property, Wotton mentioned.

A reporter from CBC noticed a employee asking Wotton to take his canine off the property when he was on the fringe of the car parking zone on Wednesday. 

Different areas have been extra understanding, Wotton mentioned.

“I have been to the on line casino, I am going to the racetrack to groom horses … she lays proper beneath them, she’s nice,” he mentioned.

“Right now, pets will not be permitted in emergency shelters,” officers with the division of social growth and housing confirmed in an e-mail. 

“Every emergency shelter operates primarily based on their insurance policies and procedures, not set by authorities, however the group’s governing physique,” the e-mail mentioned.

Whereas there are exceptions for service animals in most conditions, Wotton mentioned he has been informed he has to get a licence to show that Nova is a licensed service canine. He has tried other ways to get that carried out, resembling contacting native canine trainers, however mentioned he hasn’t had any luck.

‘Proper now I’m dwelling out of a tent. Me and Nova have been caught within the rainstorms fairly a number of instances. I’m on tent quantity 4,’ Wotton says. (Tony Davis/CBC)

Officers with the P.E.I. Human Rights Fee confirmed there isn’t a place on the Island to get a canine licensed as a service animal — however in keeping with the fee’s web site a licence should not need to be offered in all circumstances.

“If the animal is clearly marked as a service animal and is behaving appropriately, the handler shouldn’t have to offer affirmation that it’s a service animal,” reads the fee’s website.

A couple of years in the past CBC spoke to Wotton whereas he was trying to find an condominium for him and his canine.

Wotton mentioned the lack to seek out pet-friendly inexpensive housing means he has been dwelling out of a tent for the previous 4 months.

“If an individual utilized to social help and is homeless, or doesn’t have long run housing in place, and has a number of limitations to being housed, they’d be instantly related with the housing navigator to safe applicable housing,” employees with the division of social growth mentioned in an e-mail.

Proper now I’m dwelling out of a tent. Me and Nova have been caught within the rainstorms fairly a number of instances. I’m on tent quantity 4.— Steve Wotton

Wotton mentioned he is on a ready record for pet-friendly housing, however would not have a spot to reside but.

“Why do I not have a spot proper now and there was individuals put in forward of me? How am I excluded or any totally different from these different individuals?” Wotton mentioned.

He is typically informed to maneuver from areas the place he’s tenting by Charlottetown cops, he mentioned.

CBC tried to contact Charlottetown Police Companies to ask how typically officers get calls or cope with complaints of individuals tenting within the metropolis, however didn’t hear again.

Wotton mentioned he does the very best he can for his canine — he has two massive baggage of pet food in his cart and is at all times amassing water from previous bottles to maintain Nova hydrated.

However he mentioned having a canine without having a roof over his head presents distinctive issues.

“Proper now I’m dwelling out of a tent. Me and Nova have been caught within the rainstorms fairly a number of instances. I’m on tent quantity 4.”

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