North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney tabled a bill on Tuesday to ensure all veterans who need a service animal can get one.

鈥淎fter serving our country, many brave veterans come back with trauma, PTSD and physical disabilities. Service animals help our veterans heal and adapt to life post-service,鈥� said Blaney. 鈥淏ut for many veterans, there are a lot of barriers. Some providers will charge tens of thousands of dollars for a service animal without ensuring the animal has the proper training. We need to make sure this isn鈥檛 happening; our veterans deserve that at the least.鈥�

The private members bill would lift barriers including high costs for veterans who are looking for a service animal to help with their trauma, and to enact national standards for obtaining the animals.

The bill would create a framework to enhance the provision of animal-assisted services to veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs and national standards to define what training veteran鈥檚 service animal has and to force the government to provide animal-assisted service to veterans.

"It鈥檚 time we do better by our veterans," Blaney said. "So I鈥檓 calling on the government to support New Democrats in making sure all veterans can get a service animal if they need one.鈥�