Please Read - Not A Disability Money Question As Such, It's About Service Dogs

kah22

My friend, who has a long-term mental health condition, is considering getting an assistance dog. Her medical team supports her in this decision. However, there doesn't seem to be a central registry that confirms a dog's status as an assistance dog. While most people recognize Guide Dogs for the Blind, numerous other assistance dogs are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act, making it challenging to know where to turn.

If my friend were living in Great Britain, this might not be such a difficult issue. However, living in Northern Ireland, we don't have access to the well-known charities that issue "certificates" for assistance dogs.

This question is primarily directed at those who have assistance dogs and might have had to jump through various hoops to get their licenses.

I've come across a company called Support Dog UK and EU, which issues these licenses for a fee. However, it's not a registered charity, and I'm concerned about potential issues that could arise. For example, imagine being away from home, returning on a bus, and having the driver ask for proof that your dog is an assistance animal. You show them the piece of paper, only to be told, "Sorry, that organization isn't recognized."

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Kevin

Spoonie_Turtle

Disclaimer: I don't have an assistance dog nor do I know anyone well in person who has one.  The people I know have Guide Dogs - so training and registration is a bit different for those specifically - but *the law is the same for all assistance dogs*.

Legally proof cannot be required to access public spaces or services.  Assistance dogs (dogs which have been trained in specific ways to assist a disabled person - emotional support dogs are not included) are covered by the DDA 1995 and the Equality Act 2010, and owners using them have a legal right of entry to public places, just as people using other mobility aids or medical devices do.  Anywhere asking for proof is asking illegally.

That said, access refusals are still far too common.  Even for Guide Dogs with their very distinctive harnesses!  (Some guide dog owners do carry their paperwork to make it easier and quicker to rebut access refusals, but they shouldn't have to.)

Your friend does not need to have the dog registered once it is properly trained, because there is no central register or certification system.  Only if it's trained by an organisation would it be registered anywhere, but owner training is equally valid.

All in all, I think you're right to be wary of any organisation purporting to register assistance dogs that they haven't trained.

I found an Assistance Dogs policy for a NI council (Fermanagh and Omagh), which has these links at the bottom so clearly the information covers NI as well as the rest of the UK:
https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/campaigning/our-current-campaigns/open-doors/  see particularly the document 'Open Doors Information for Businesses (pdf 227.84kb)' which includes the line
However, it is important to note that not all types of assistance dogs wear  harnesses, and there is no requirement to carry ID. 

The NI council policy also links to https://www.assistancedogs.org.uk/the-law/
Which also states "it is not a legal requirement for assistance dogs to wear a harness, jacket or lead slip."


If anyone reading this wonders 'well what's stopping people from abusing the provision?' - the law does allow for any dog to be kicked out if they behave badly, whether they're an assistance dog or not.  So someone bringing in their untrained yappy snarly chihuahua thinking they can just claim it's an assistance dog, doesn't work like that, they can (and should) be asked to leave.

sheramber

I've come across a company called Support Dog UK and EU, which issues these licenses for a fee.

Your friend would have to have his own dog and train it to the standard required for an assistance dog.

Does he have a dog?

Not every dog is suitable for such work so he would need to source a suitable dog. 

Would he be able to  train a dog?

The above site seems to be more about selling courses. There is no way to check its authenticity. 

nannytone_2

I am a guide dog owner, and this is becoming a big issue.
Too many people are trying to pass a pet off as a service dog.

As always, it is the genuine service dog users that suffer because of the mi ority that try to game the system

marcia_

 Plenty of premises do refuse entry to all but guide dogs for the blind. 

 Saying they are acting illegally is all good and well but it depends on what is actually a reasonable adjustment. The company can decide its not reasonable due to the nature of their business and can only be decided by a court should the complainer taking it that far. 

Spoonie_Turtle

marcia_ said:

 Plenty of premises do refuse entry to all but guide dogs for the blind. 

 Saying they are acting illegally is all good and well but it depends on what is actually a reasonable adjustment. The company can decide its not reasonable due to the nature of their business and can only be decided by a court should the complainer taking it that far. 

Short of it being an area that needs to be kept as sterile as possible like an operating theatre, I'm curious what kinds of businesses you think that might apply to?

elsien

What will your friend’s dog be helping her with just because of the distinction above between an emotional support animal and an assistance dog?
They are not the same thing under the legislation. I just could whack a harness on my dog and insist on taking him into shops as an emotional support animal with many premises allowing it because they don’t want to make a fuss. 

I’m sure I’ve seen some dog owners that do exactly that. Primarily because the dogs in question don’t seem to have an awful lot in the way of training. 

kah22

nannytone_2 said:

I am a guide dog owner, and this is becoming a big issue.
Too many people are trying to pass a pet off as a service dog.

As always, it is the genuine service dog users that suffer because of the mi ority that try to game the system

I appreciate what you say, and I agree with you..  I'm sure people don't understand hidden conditions bipolar, I think been one. 

Myself I've epilepsy and found it very hard as a young man but now, thank god, hidden conditions are becoming more recognisable 

marcia_

Spoonie_Turtle said:

marcia_ said:

 Plenty of premises do refuse entry to all but guide dogs for the blind. 

 Saying they are acting illegally is all good and well but it depends on what is actually a reasonable adjustment. The company can decide its not reasonable due to the nature of their business and can only be decided by a court should the complainer taking it that far. 

Short of it being an area that needs to be kept as sterile as possible like an operating theatre, I'm curious what kinds of businesses you think that might apply to?

 The point is unless it is s guide dog the business can refuse entry for any reason and there is nothing you can do about it unless you take them to Court. 

theoretica

How is the friend planning to get a trained assistance dog?  I imagine an organisation the provides or trains dogs would know about the relevant legislation and pragmatic steps that pay off.

elsien

kah22 said:

nannytone_2 said:

I am a guide dog owner, and this is becoming a big issue.
Too many people are trying to pass a pet off as a service dog.

As always, it is the genuine service dog users that suffer because of the mi ority that try to game the system

I appreciate what you say, and I agree with you..  I'm sure people don't understand hidden conditions bipolar, I think been one. 

Myself I've epilepsy and found it very hard as a young man but now, thank god, hidden conditions are becoming more recognisable 

Again though, there is a distinction between a dog trained to alert when a seizure is coming on, or one that supports someone with a physical disability with practical tasks when out shopping to someone with anxiety taking a pet out because it reassures them. I'm not saying that mental health is less disabling, because in some circumstances it isn't, but the legislation is around specific training and the tasks that the animal carries out. 

I have  a friend whose very intelligent dog taught itself to alert to her physical health issues, and did save her life once, but it was not an accredited service dog.