Report a refusal
Every report is read by a person. We log the business or agency, the date and what was said, help you file with the regulator that actually has jurisdiction, and keep a record so repeat offenders can be shown to be repeat offenders. Your identity is never published.
What non-compliance costs
Refusing a service dog is not a misunderstanding to be smoothed over. It carries statutory penalties in all three countries, set by law and adjusted for inflation. These are the current maximums, quoted from the regulations that set them.
United States
Businesses & services
$118,225
civil penalty for a first violation of ADA Title III, rising to $236,451 for any subsequent violation, assessed in a Department of Justice action — on top of court-ordered changes and damages to the person turned away.
42 USC 12188(b)(2)(C) · 28 CFR 36.504(a)(3) · 28 CFR 85.5
Housing
$26,262
per discriminatory housing practice before a HUD judge for a first offence; $65,653 with one prior within 5 years; $131,308 with two or more within 7 years. In a DOJ pattern-or-practice suit: $131,308 first, $262,614 subsequent. Private suits add actual and punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
24 CFR 180.671 · 42 USC 3614(d)(1)(C) · 28 CFR 85.5 · 42 USC 3613
Airlines
$75,000
per violation against a carrier under the Air Carrier Access Act’s anti-discrimination provision, 49 USC 41705; $17,062 per violation for small businesses and individuals. Each passenger, each flight, is a separate violation.
14 CFR 383.2 · 49 USC 46301
Canada
Federal services & carriers
$20,000
compensation the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal may order to the victim, plus up to $20,000 more where the discrimination was wilful or reckless. Carriers under the ATPDR face Canadian Transportation Agency penalties of up to $25,000 per violation for a corporation, $5,000 for an individual.
CHRA s. 53(2)(e), (3) · Canada Transportation Act s. 177(1)(b)
British Columbia & Alberta
$3,000
fine for interfering with or charging a certified team in BC, and the same ceiling in Alberta for a discriminatory practice against a qualified service-dog team — each an offence under the province’s service-dog statute, on top of a human-rights claim. Alberta adds a $300 fine for falsely claiming the Act’s protection.
Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, SBC 2015 c. 17, s. 8 · Service Dogs Act, SA 2007 c. S-7.5, s. 6
Ontario & Québec
$100,000/day
AODA fine for a corporation for each day an offence continues ($50,000 a day for a person); the Human Rights Tribunal may separately order compensation “including compensation for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect” with no statutory ceiling; refusing a guide dog is a further offence with a fine of up to $5,000. Québec’s Charter gives a right to compensation and to punitive damages for intentional interference.
AODA, SO 2005 c. 11, s. 37(3) · Human Rights Code, RSO 1990 c. H.19, s. 45.2(1) · Blind Persons’ Rights Act, RSO 1990 c. B.7, s. 6(1) · Charte, RLRQ c. C-12, s. 49
México
Criminal — federal
1–3 years
in prison, or 150 to 300 days of community service, and up to 200 días multa, for anyone who “niegue a una persona un servicio o una prestación a la que tenga derecho” on grounds including condición de salud or any other. A public servant who does it gets the penalty increased by half, plus removal and disqualification from public office.
Código Penal Federal, art. 149 Ter (última reforma DOF 13-03-2026)
Administrative
Public reprimand & reparation
CONAPRED may order the establishment to post notices that discrimination occurred on its premises, to train its staff, to publish the resolution, to restore the right, to compensate the harm, to apologise publicly, and to guarantee non-repetition — “sin perjuicio de la responsabilidad administrativa, civil o penal.” Airlines additionally face AFAC fines set in UMA multiples under the Ley de Aviación Civil; consumer refusals go to PROFECO.
LFPED arts. 83, 83 Bis, 83 Ter · art. 9 fr. XXII Quáter · Ley de Aviación Civil art. 87
Sources
Peer-reviewed research 14
01Pigeon WR, Campbell CE, Possemato K, Ouimette P. Longitudinal relationships of insomnia, nightmares, and PTSD severity in recent combat veterans. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 2013;75:546–50. PMID 24290044.
02Don Richardson J, King L, St Cyr K, Shnaider P, Roth ML, Ketcheson F, Balderson K, Elhai JD. Depression and the relationship between sleep disturbances, nightmares, and suicidal ideation in treatment-seeking Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans. BMC Psychiatry 2018;18:204. PMID 29921268.
03Pruiksma KE, Slavish DC, Taylor DJ, Dietch JR, Tyler H, Dolan M, Bryan AO, Bryan CJ. Nightmares and insomnia in the US National Guard: mental and physical health correlates. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 2021;28:238–249. PMID 32495239.
04Leighton SC, Rodriguez KE, Jensen CL, MacLean EL, Davis LW, Ashbeck EL, Bedrick EJ, O’Haire ME. Service dogs for veterans and military members with posttraumatic stress disorder: a nonrandomized controlled trial. JAMA Network Open 2024;7:e2414686. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14686. PMID 38833250.
05Margolies SO, Rybarczyk B, Vrana SR, Leszczyszyn DJ, Lynch J. Efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia and nightmares in Afghanistan and Iraq veterans with PTSD. Journal of Clinical Psychology 2013;69:1026–42. PMID 23629959.
06Rodriguez KE, LaFollette MR, Hediger K, Ogata N, O’Haire ME. Defining the PTSD service dog intervention: perceived importance, usage, and symptom specificity of psychiatric service dogs for military veterans. Frontiers in Psychology 2020;11. PMID 32849004.
07Jensen CL, Rodriguez KE, MacLean EL, Abdul Wahab AH, Sabbaghi A, O’Haire ME. Characterizing veteran and PTSD service dog teams: exploring potential mechanisms of symptom change and canine predictors of efficacy. PLoS ONE 2022;17. PMID 35895599.
08Bristol S, Leighton SC, Schwichtenberg AJ, Campbell RL, Ashbeck EL, Taylor DJ, Bedrick EJ, O’Haire ME. The influence of service dog partnerships on perceived and objective sleep quality for military veterans with PTSD. Frontiers in Sleep 2024. doi:10.3389/frsle.2024.1432919.
15U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. How Common is PTSD in Veterans? Lifetime PTSD 29% among OIF/OEF veterans; 7% among all veterans; 6% general population.
16Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Disaster Technical Assistance Center. First Responders: Behavioral Health Concerns, Emergency Response, and Trauma. Supplemental Research Bulletin, May 2018. An estimated 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions including depression and PTSD, versus 20% in the general population.
17Carleton RN, Afifi TO, Turner S, Taillieu T, et al. Mental disorder symptoms among public safety personnel in Canada. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2018. PMID 28845686. n = 5,813; 15.1% screened positive for one disorder and 26.7% for more than one.
18Zamorski MA, Bennett RE, Rusu C, Weeks M. Prevalence of past-year mental disorders in the Canadian Armed Forces, 2002–2013. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2016. PMID 27270739. Past-year PTSD 5.3% in 2013; adjusted odds ratio 2.1 versus 2002.
19Medina-Mora ME, Genis-Mendoza AD, Villatoro Velázquez JA, Bustos-Gamiño M, et al. The prevalence of symptomatology and risk factors in mental health in Mexico: the 2016–17 ENCODAT cohort. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2023. PMID 36833803. n = 56,877; post-traumatic stress symptoms 5.7%.
20Meza Peña C, Bravo-Garza AP, Loredo-Villa MA. Después del enfrentamiento: estrés en policías de zona rural del noreste de México. URVIO, Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios de Seguridad 2025. doi:10.17141/urvio.43.2025.6460. n = 112 police and civil-protection personnel, rural Nuevo León; stress, anxiety, depression and burnout measured with the DASS.
United States — law and penalties 8
09Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities, 28 CFR §§ 36.104, 36.302(c); Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services, 28 CFR §§ 35.104, 35.136. Text as rendered by the electronic CFR, issue date September 30, 2026.
10Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel, 14 CFR §§ 382.3, 382.72, 382.74–382.80 (Doc. No. DOT-OST-2018-0068, 85 FR 79774, Dec. 10, 2020); Transportation Services for Individuals with Disabilities, 49 CFR § 37.167; Fair Housing Act regulations, 24 CFR §§ 100.202, 100.204; VA service dog benefits, 38 CFR § 17.148 (77 FR 54381, Sept. 5, 2012).
11Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act, Pub. L. No. 117-37, 135 Stat. 329 (Aug. 25, 2021), §§ 2–3, adding 38 U.S.C. § 1714(e)–(f).
13U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Notification of Withdrawal of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Guidance Documents, Docket No. FR-6571-N-01, 91 Fed. Reg. 17291 (Apr. 6, 2026) (effective date of withdrawal September 17, 2025).
14Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., including § 12112(b)(5)(A); Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B).
3128 CFR 85.5, Civil Monetary Penalties Inflation Adjustment table (DOJ), current amounts for 42 USC 12188(b)(2)(C) (ADA Title III: $118,225 first violation; $236,451 subsequent) and 42 USC 3614(d)(1)(C) (Fair Housing Act: $131,308; $262,614). 28 CFR 36.504(a)(3).
3224 CFR 180.671, assessing civil penalties for Fair Housing Act cases before a HUD administrative law judge: $26,262; $65,653; $131,308. 42 USC 3613 (civil actions; damages and attorney’s fees).
3314 CFR 383.2 (89 FR 106292, Dec. 30, 2024), civil penalty amounts under 49 USC 46301: general $75,000 per violation; $17,062 for small businesses and individuals under 49 USC 41705.
Canada 6
21Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations, SOR/2019-244, ss. 1, 51 (Canada). Text from the Justice Laws Website.
22Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, S.B.C. 2015, c. 17, ss. 1–6.1 (British Columbia). Text from BC Laws.
23Integrated Accessibility Standards, O. Reg. 191/11, ss. 80.45(4), 80.47 (Ontario), under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Text from Ontario e-Laws, currency date September 30, 2026.
34Canadian Human Rights Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. H-6, s. 53(2)(e) and (3); Canada Transportation Act, S.C. 1996, c. 10, s. 177(1)(b); Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, S.B.C. 2015, c. 17, s. 8.
37Service Dogs Act, S.A. 2007, c. S-7.5, s. 6 (Alberta): fine not exceeding $3,000 for a discriminatory practice under s. 3; $300 for falsely claiming the Act’s benefit.
38Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s. 45.2; Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c. 11, s. 37; Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, RLRQ c. C-12, s. 49. Cited by section; figures to be quoted from the statutes.
41Canadian Human Rights Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. H-6, ss. 3(1), 5, 6. Service Dogs Act, S.A. 2007, c. S-7.5, ss. 1, 3, 4, 6 (Alberta King’s Printer). Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, RLRQ c. C-12; The Service Animals Protection Act, C.C.S.M. c. S90; Service Dog Act, S.N.S. 2016, c. 4; Service Animal Act, S.N.L. 2012, c. S-13.2 — cited.
42Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, ss. 10(1) (“disability”), 45.2(1); Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c. 11, s. 37(3); Blind Persons’ Rights Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.7, ss. 1, 2(1), 6(1). Text from Ontario e-Laws, read 2026-10-04.
México 5
24Ley General para la Inclusión de las Personas con Discapacidad, arts. 2 fr. XXVI, 16 fr. III, 17 fr. II, última reforma DOF 14-06-2024 (México).
25Ley Federal para Prevenir y Eliminar la Discriminación, art. 9 fr. XXII Quáter, adicionada DOF 04-12-2023 (México).
26Ley de Aviación Civil, arts. 47 Bis fr. I, 47 Bis 1 (México).
35Ley Federal para Prevenir y Eliminar la Discriminación, arts. 83, 83 Bis, 83 Ter (medidas administrativas y de reparación), última reforma DOF 14-11-2025.
36Código Penal Federal (México), art. 149 Ter, última reforma DOF 13-03-2026. Prison of one to three years or 150–300 days of community service, and up to 200 días multa, for denying a service on discriminatory grounds; penalty increased by one half for public servants, with removal and disqualification.
39Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, art. 1°, últimas reformas DOF 02-06-2026. Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor, arts. 58, 128 (multas actualizadas DOF 23-12-2025), 128 Bis. Ley Federal del Trabajo, arts. 3° (DOF 15-01-2026), 133 fr. I.
40Ley para la Protección de los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad del Estado de Nuevo León, arts. 2 fr. XXVI, 44 bis–44 bis 7 (adicionados P.O. 24-12-2008). Text from the H. Congreso de Nuevo León.
Agencies, surveys and import rules 5
12Wisch RF. Table of State Assistance Animal Laws. Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University College of Law, 2025.
27Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Import Reference Document (as referenced in the Health of Animals Regulations), dogs — personal imports; assistance-dog clause; no post-import quarantine.
28SENASICA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria). Requirements and Procedures for Traveling to Mexico with Your Pet. gob.mx, last updated 4 August 2026. New World screwworm inspection document for dogs from the United States; inspection only from Canada.
29U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries (reviewed 22 July 2024) and High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies. Canada and Mexico not listed as high-risk.
30Reglamento de Autotransporte Federal y Servicios Auxiliares (México), terminal accessibility provisions; no service-animal clause.