Assistance Dogs Policy

Reason for policy

  1. In accordance with the Library Byelaws made under Section 19 of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, the Vision Redbridge Library Service Byelaw states that:

“Except with the consent of a library officer, no person shall cause or allow any dog other than a working dog accompanying a disabled person or other animal belonging to them or under their control to enter or remain in the library”

  1. Library spaces are not an appropriate environment for most animals and therefore pets of any kind are not permitted in our buildings because of the potential for disruption to other library users and the welfare of the animal. Working dogs will be referred to as Assistance Dogs in terms of this policy.

 

What is an assistance dog?

  1. Assistance dogs are dogs which have been trained by an organisation which is accredited by Assistance Dogs UK and/or The International Guide Dog Federation. Assistance dogs perform practical assistive tasks for their owners and/or alert them to life-threatening medical conditions. Whilst they undoubtedly also provide emotional support to their owners, this is not their sole purpose.

Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) is a coalition of eight assistance dog charities that have successfully passed an extensive accreditation process that covers all aspects of their training and administration. A full list of accredited organisations can be seen on the Assistance Dogs UK website.

 

Can users bring an assistance dog into the library?

  1. Yes, we are committed to making reasonable adjustments for our disabled users, which includes permitting registered assistance dogs in our buildings.

Do staff need to check that the assistance dog is registered?

  1. No, we do not ask staff to routinely check if a dog is registered unless they are uncertain that a user is bringing in a registered assistance dog.

It is generally very easy to identify an assistance dog from the jacket it wears.

  1. In cases where it is not clear, and the user has no evidence of accreditation it will be up to the senior staff on duty’s discretion to make exceptions to this policy.

 

What about emotional support animals and other pets? 

  1. In the UK, emotional support animals do not have legal recognition in the way that assistance dogs do. These animals are used to support people with a range of support needs including mental health and autism. However, these animals are not specifically trained to carry out any particular task, as is the case with assistance dogs, but rather their role is to be a source of comfort or support to their owner/handler.

Whilst Redbridge Library Service understands the benefits that having a therapy animal can bring, any animal accompanying user must be an ADUK registered assistance dog to be allowed into library premises.

 

Date of policy: January 2023

 

 

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