An Assistance Dog is essential in helping the handler to access different environments, and we would ask that every opportunity is given to both the Handler and the Assistance Dog to provide support, confidence and added independence within our working Partnerships.

For your information, Helpful Hounds Assistance Dogs is a registered Charity in England and Wales (No.1181017) that helps train Assistance Dogs and Medical Alert Dogs for young people and adults who are physically disabled, or dealing with Autism, Down’s Syndrome, PTSD or other emotional/medical issues.  In addition, we also provide dogs that are embedded in Schools, working, in classrooms, mainly with Special Needs Departments/Students, but also to help with reading confidence, stress and, as part of the Mental Health Strategy for Staff. 

If you meet one of our assistance dogs and their handlers, we ask for your co-operation, it is useful to consider the following: 

• It is our understanding that it is the right of a disabled person (This includes hidden disablements withing the Equalities Act 2010) to have the use of an Assistance Dog: Either fully trained or still in training. The reason most charity training dogs (like Guide dogs) do not have access rights while still in training is due to the puppy handler (person that raises the dog until adulthood) not having a disability themselves and so cannot trigger the act into use. (Equalities Act 2010) 
• In short this means that a puppy or young dog in training is still legally allowed into public spaces, business premises and rented accommodation, if the handler is disabled or has a recognised diagnosed medical condition, as it’s the handlers right. It is not the dog’s level of qualification which triggers the act but the condition the person lives with. 
• https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/assistance-dogs-a-guide-for-all-businesses.pdf
• Furthermore: “Refusing to allow access to people with Assistance Dogs because other people ‘might’ be allergic to dogs is likely to be unlawful disability discrimination. This is because the Equality Act 2010 states that service providers must make reasonable adjustments to policies for disabled people. This includes amending ‘no dogs’ and ‘no pets’ policies to allow access for  Working Assistance Dogs. 
• If there is an identifiable person with an allergy to dogs, then employers and service providers should take reasonable steps to ensure that person has minimal or no contact with dogs; such reasonable steps are unlikely to include banning all Assistance Dogs.” 

In the Schools we are dealing with and the businesses we visit, a straightforward “Risk Assessment” has been prepared which clarifies the level of risk. (Included are a mainstream School with over 1000 students and a Multi-National Investment Bank). 

Having said this, we are well aware that having a right of access also carries, with it, responsibilities. The Handler has responsibilities to ensure that the dog is under control (on lead, no barking, no jumping up and settles quickly etc) at all times. 

We hope that you have found this information useful, and we look forward to your co-operation.  Should you have any questions, then please contact us here.