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United Kingdom

It will usually be against the law to discriminate against Assistance Dog owners who wish to take their Assistance Dogs into public places.

The U.K. Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) says that anyone who provides services, goods or facilities to the public cannot refuse to provide their service to a disabled person for a reason relating to that person’s disability. Nor can service providers use a person’s disability as a reason to provide them with a lower standard of service than it offers to other people, or a service on worse terms. Doing any of these things is likely to give rise to a disability discrimination claim.

The Act also requires a service provider to make reasonable adjustments to any practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for a disabled person to make use of the goods, facilities or services in question. This may mean not enforcing a “no dogs” policy in respect of Assistance Dogs or amending a “no pets” policy to ensure that Assistance Dogs are not refused access. Because Assistance Dog owners rely on their dogs to get around safely, refusing to allow an Assistance Dog on to the premises means refusing to provide a service to the owner for a reason relating to their disability.

Because of their training and skills, the Institute of Environmental Health Officers in the UK have stated that Assistance Dogs are exempt from the usual hygiene rules that apply to dogs including those that relate to areas where food is being served. Assistance Dog owners are given a card by the Institute which explains this. There is therefore no reason why Assistance Dogs cannot enter shops and premises with their owners.

Although it may sometimes be possible to justify a refusal to serve a person who uses an Assistance Dog, the law will only permit such justification in exceptional circumstances. In time, the rights of Assistance Dog owners will be affected by case law.

Courtesy of—

Peter Gorbing, Board Vice-President

Dogs For The Disabled

The Frances Hay Center Blacklocks Hills

Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 2BS

England