Air Canada has launched Cabin-Ready Canines, a new, industry-leading initiative to enable customers with owner-trained service dogs to travel with confidence on Air Canada flights.
The program is conducted in partnership with K-9 Country Inn, a respected Canadian non-profit organization that provides a solution for travellers who require service dog certification for air travel through independent assessment and evaluation.
At present, many customers with service dogs that are owner-trained or were trained outside a recognized organization do not have an official way of confirming their dog’s required training status to travel with Air Canada. There is no single, country-wide service dog certification standard, and certification programs are not available in all provinces.
How the program works:
- Air Canada’s Accessibility Services team will refer eligible customers to K-9 Country Inn for an independent assessment. Air Canada is not involved in the evaluation itself. There is a fee for this assessment which is managed by K-9 Country Inn.
- Once a dog passes the assessment evaluation, the customer receives an official K-9 Country Inn certification and photo ID card, which Air Canada’s agents can verify through K-9 Country Inn’s database.
- This verified record becomes proof of travel eligibility and is valid for two years, allowing the customer to follow Air Canada’s standard booking process.
- The program delivers meaningful impact through a fast-track process and secure database, providing reassurance for eligible customers.
- Importantly, the program is valid for both domestic and international travel, underscoring its scope and reach. Travel to and from the United States is not in scope as documentation requirements are governed by applicable U.S. legislation.
- Currently, K-9 Country Inn offers testing in English and French, in the Toronto and Montréal areas. They will monitor demand for other markets that are not currently served by government certification programs for owner-trained service dogs.
- The program is being aligned with similar processes used in British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia. All dogs holding provincial certification, as well as those trained through ADI, IGDF or other approved organizations, are exempt from completing this assessment.
“Service dogs play a vital role in customer independence, and we are so pleased to be launching this partnership with K-9 Country Inn,” said Kerianne Wilson, Director, Customer Accessibility at Air Canada. “Guided by feedback from the disability community, we have worked closely with K-9 Country Inn and their expert trainers who are also people with disabilities, to take a leadership position by building a practical solution to a complex accessibility challenge.
“Through our Cabin-Ready Canines program, we hope to demonstrate that feasible solutions are possible, enabling more customers with service dogs to travel with dignity and confidence,”
More info can be found on Air Canada’s website.
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