MOOSE JAW — , leaving the pair to survive on the streets during a cold and snowy winter.
The assisted living care home, which operates under the Prairie Skies Retirement Villa (PSRV) banner, told the man on Jan. 6 that it was evicting him because there were “some complications with having a canine” in the building, but never said what those complications were.
It gave him until Feb. 6 to leave, but the resident vacated his suite on Feb. 4.
Vernon, 50, has lived with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-concussion syndrome since 2008 and has owned Maverick, a Doberman pincher, for six years. The dog has been his psychiatrist-approved support animal since June 2024.
Vernon told MooseJawToday.com that he was unable to find alternative housing before his eviction, so he is sleeping at the Willow Lodge shelter and is on the streets during the day.
He said he suffered frostbite on his right hand because of that exposure, while he alleged that police officers had stopped him twice to conduct wellness checks on Maverick because of the weather.
“So, they’re keeping a very close eye on Maverick to see if there is any distress, which is obviously happening,” Vernon said.
Furthermore, Vernon alleges officers told him that if the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) determined that Capilano Court’s actions constituted an illegal eviction, they would open a file and investigate the care home for abuse and neglect of an emotional support animal.
“So this keeps morphing into something bigger than just the eviction. So, it’s precedent-setting (because) no one has seen anything like this (situation) before in the courts,” Vernon alleged.
The man also alleges that someone from the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation is attempting to secure housing for him from the Moose Jaw Housing Authority, using medical documentation from his doctors saying he requires Maverick for his mental health.
A fast-moving situation
Before Vernon and Maverick hit the streets, he told MooseJawToday.com that his lawyer, Michael Scott, had decided that they would pursue mediation through the SHRC.
Vernon had originally contacted the Ministry of Health’s community care branch to have one of its consultants for personal care homes investigate; the consultant did and initially sided with Capilano Court.
Vernon noted that the consultant reviewed a medical certificate that his physician wrote last August saying that Maverick, “which is a pet dog,” should be considered an emotional support animal. The alleges that the consultant focused on the word “pet” and used that to uphold Capilano Court’s eviction.
Vernon said he believes the consultant focused on “pet” because pets have no rights, whereas an emotional support or service animal does.
Vernon’s physician, Dr. Om Prabha Moorti, learned about the consultant’s decision and sent “a scathing letter to the ministry saying you’re going to be breaking serious laws here,” he recalled. Moorti also submitted an updated medical certificate on Jan. 20, saying Maverick has emotional support animal status, has provided that service since June 27, 2024, and has a lawful certificate to back that claim.
“And Maverick is not a pet. And hence the patient should be allowed to have the emotional support animal by law and should be allowed this as an accommodation for the maintenance of the patient’s mental health stability,” wrote Moorti, who also wrote a comprehensive explanation of how the dog supports Vernon.
Another physician, psychiatrist Dr. Gift Kariko from Regina’s Broad Street Clinic, also wrote a letter saying Maverick was an emotional support animal and “is not a pet.”
Vernon also alleged that his psychiatrist spoke with the ministry and “told them, ‘Don’t screw around on this because you’re dealing with disability law and emotional support animal law.’” So, the ministry allegedly “flip-flopped” and decided to support Vernon instead of Capilano Court.
Furthermore, Moorti allegedly wrote “a pretty strongly worded emotional support letter” to Capilano Court, but the assisted living care home has failed to comply, Vernon alleged.
MooseJawToday.com reached out to the Ministry of Health and Moose Jaw Police Service for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
