Quill, the first service dog recognized in the Alberta legislature, dies

The first service animal to be recognized in the Alberta legislature has died.

The government said the miniature poodle named Quill brought wonderful energy to the halls of the legislature.

Former Wildrose MLA Heather Forsyth first brought the dog to work in 2013 to help with her hearing loss.

She suffered nerve damage, and could not hear certain sounds and struggled to hear from certain directions.

She was paired with the then-two-year-old dog through the Lions Foundation of Canada.

The dog was trained to alert Forsyth to eight different sounds, including her cellphone, door bell, alarm clock, oven timer, home security system and fire alarms.

“He spins when there’s a fire alarm. To let me know ‘this is really serious, you really have to pay attention,” Forsyth said at the time.

Quill was also trained to alert Forsyth when someone said her name, by placing a paw on her leg.

At the time, she told reporters his first day was a learning experience as the dog got used to the thumping of the desks and other unusual noises experienced during question period debates.

Forsyth retired from politics two years later.

“Quill broke down barriers and made a huge impact on the lives of others and our province. Rest in peace, Quill,” Speaker of the House Nathan Cooper said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.

We are saddened by the passing of Quill, the service dog for MLA Heather Forsyth. Quill was the first service animal to be recognized in @LegAssemblyofAB Quill broke down barriers and made a huge impact on the lives of others and our province. Rest in peace, Quill. #ableg pic.twitter.com/DAYaAWJeGR

— Nathan Cooper (@NathanCooperAB) August 4, 2023

— with files from The Canadian Press and Emily Mertz, Global News

by Global News