Closed petition Recognise and allow for psychological assistance dogs in the UK

Closed on 29 March 2016

In the UK there is no government backed scheme that provides service dogs for those who suffer mental illness. There is no legislation to allow any animal serving as a therapy or psychological assistance to have the same access rights to public places as guide dogs or physical assistance dogs.

The onset of psychosis and recovery left me feeling uneasy being in public on my own. The anxiety I felt was crippling and I lost a lot of my social life during this time. In situations where I am expected to cope with more spontaneous or unusual trips, I still find the anxiety coming on.
In these situations the benefit of a service dog would be incalculable. This country has come a long way in the understanding and treatment of mental illness, but there’s a long way still to go.