MOOSE JAW 鈥� Resident Michael Vernon could be living on the streets soon because Prairie Skies Retirement Villa wants to evict him over 鈥渃omplications鈥� that his emotional support dog is allegedly causing.
Vernon, 50, has lived with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-concussion syndrome since 2008, and has owned Maverick, a Doberman pincher, for the past six years. The dog has been his psychiatrist-approved support animal since June 2024.
Vernon had a two-hour interview with Capilano Court officials in August 2024 to determine whether he and his support dog were acceptable, he said during a recent interview. Officials called him several months later and agreed to accept him and Maverick, so they moved in on Dec. 4, 2024.
Then, unexpectedly, on Jan. 6, the man received a formal eviction letter from the organization giving him 30 days鈥� notice.
鈥淭he reason for this eviction notice is some complications with having a canine in our facility,鈥� Wendy Lake, the on-site manager, wrote.
Vernon鈥檚 tenancy at Capilano Court would end on Thursday, Feb. 6, so he had to vacate the property on or before that date, Lake continued. She encouraged him to find help to remove his belongings and return his keys by that time.
鈥淔ailure to vacate the premises by the specified date may result in legal action to regain possession of the property. Please take this notice seriously to avoid further complications,鈥� she added.
Vernon pointed out that the eviction letter is vague and doesn鈥檛 offer much information about the situation.
鈥淚 think it took time to process (the letter) because everybody loves Maverick in there,鈥� he said, noting the animal also provides emotional comfort to other tenants. 鈥溾�� to be bullying service animals, I think that鈥檚 a bit out of the realm (of acceptability).鈥�
Meanwhile, after receiving the document, he went to the Saskatchewan Ombudsman and was told to contact the Ministry of Health鈥檚 community care branch to have one of its standards consultants for personal care homes investigate the situation. The consultant鈥檚 findings would then enable the ombudsman to review the issue officially.
Vernon expected the consultant to begin her investigation soon, which would include speaking with Capilano Court staff and reviewing security videos. If the consultant鈥檚 report is against Vernon, he could apply to the Court of Appeal to overturn it.
The resident said it was difficult to find a lawyer in Moose Jaw who would take on his case because many have a conflict of interest since they have connections to Capilano Court鈥檚 multinational ownership. Although the lawyers 鈥渉ad a heart鈥� for Maverick, they encouraged him to look to Regina or Saskatoon for legal support.
鈥淚 did find a lawyer. He鈥檚 extremely interested 鈥� (because) this is a precedent-setting case,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚t has never been seen on the books, as the ombudsman said, and neither has the Ministry of Health (seen something like this) 鈥� nor has the (provincial Office of Residential Tenancies).鈥�
Vernon recalled his lawyer, Michael Scott, with KMP Law in Regina, telling him that Capilano Court allegedly had 鈥渙ne foot in the toilet here鈥� because a manager had vetted and accepted him and Maverick, and then suddenly, he was being evicted even though his dog hadn鈥檛 bitten anyone.
鈥淗e鈥檚 an extension of me. He鈥檚 an extension of my family and I do not appreciate Capilano Court scapegoating my dog here. That鈥檚 what is happening here,鈥� the 50-year-old remarked.
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) says that emotional support animals have 鈥渆xtremely high status鈥� as service animals for people who face undue stress, Vernon said.
Maverick helps him with his emotional regulation and daily structured routine, as his physician, Dr. Om Prabha Moorti, wrote in a letter on Aug. 22, 2024. Vernon also received a similar letter from the Broad Street Clinic in Regina on June 4, 2024.
Besides acquiring a lawyer, Vernon has submitted a complaint to the SHRC requesting that it review his case and award him damages of about $300,000.
As a recovering addict, Vernon credited living in Capilano Court for keeping him sober since it鈥檚 structured and similar to living a rehab-style life. He noted that employees give him his medications on time, provide his meals on time and check on him nightly 鈥渓ike a Big Brother-type thing.鈥�
Vernon added that unless Capilano Court offers to mediate or settle with him, his situation could take 10 to 12 months to resolve through the SHRC because 鈥渢he wheels of justice turn slow.鈥�
The Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com contacted everyone in this story for comment but 鈥� aside from Lake, who declined to speak 鈥� did not hear from anyone by press time.
