At a high level, this change is needed because those disability assist dogs perform an invaluable service to many New Zealanders living with disabilities who rely on the skills of their disability assist dog to enable their participation in society on a daily basis. Trained disability assist dogs are able to perform a wide variety of tasks, depending on their owner's particular disability. It could be that a dog alerts someone with hearing loss to noises such as an alarm clock, a telephone, kitchen timer, doorbells, or fire alarms; alerts or protects somebody who's about to have a seizure or is having a seizure; or retrieves objects for a person who uses a wheelchair. These are just some of the examples of the many ways in which disability assist dogs play a critical role in enabling many New Zealanders to participate fully in society. Their purpose is quite different to a pet or everyday domestic animal, and because of their crucial role in the lives of many disabled people, it is essential that they are viewed and treated differently by the law. 