The UK law on assistance dogs dogs is covered by the Equality Act 2010¹. This law states that disabled people have the right to be accompanied by their assistance dog in public places, including shops, restaurants, hospitals, and on public transport. Assistance dogs are not considered pets and are protected by law¹. The Equality Act 2010 defines an auxiliary aid as “anything that provides support or assistance to a disabled person” ². This includes assistance dogs, which are trained to perform practical assistive tasks/behaviours for their disabled partners or alert to life-threatening medical conditions to enable their owners to be independent³.

It is important to note that you do not need to train with us or any other organization to prove your dog is an assistance dog as long as your assistance dog meets the legal definition of the UK 2010 Equality Act’s auxiliary aid¹. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has produced a guide that informs businesses of their legal obligation to allow access to assistance dogs³.

Refusing to allow access to people with assistance dogs because other people ‘might’ be allergic to dogs is likely to be unlawful disability discrimination⁴. This is because the Equality Act 2010 states that service providers must make reasonable adjustments to policies for disabled people⁴.