Policy on Assistance Dogs in the
Cambridge University Engineering Department

Introduction

The Department of Engineering generally prohibits animals within its premises.

The Department recognises that it will generally be a reasonable adjustment that a dog kept and used by a disabled person wholly or mainly for the purpose of assisting that person to carry out day to day activities (an “Assistance Dog”)  be permitted access to the Department.

Dogs, and other animals, used for other therapeutic or support purposes will not be permitted access to the Department except where agreed on a case by case basis by the Head of Department or their delegate.

Prior Notice

Members of the public and visitors would not be expected to make prior arrangements before bringing an Assistance Dog on to the premises. Where a member of staff or student uses an Assistance Dog and would be routinely bringing it onto the premises it would be expected that this would be discussed in advance to ensure that suitable arrangements can be made (such as provision of a toileting area) and that access to hazardous areas of the Department can be risk assessed (see below).

Identifying Assistance Dogs

Trained by an Assistance Dogs (UK) member

There will be a clear presumption that dogs trained by members of Assistance Dogs (UK) that have a yellow Assistance Dog (UK) ID book are Assistance Dogs for Equality Act purposes.

Other Assistance Dogs

Following EHRC guidance, where a disabled person (within the meaning of the Equality Act) represents that a dog trained by a non AD(UK) organisation, or a self-trained dog, is an Assistance Dog that representation will normally be straightforwardly accepted subject to the dog behaving in manner consistent with that of a trained Assistance Dog. The EHRC has published guidance identifying behaviour consistent with that of an Assistance Dog.

Identification

To enable access to be granted assistance dogs should be clearly identified by a suitable harness, or other means, to ensure that University staff can easily identify it as an Assistance Dog.

Health and Safety in Laboratories and Workshops.

The Department of Engineering contains a large number of laboratory and workshop areas which contain risks and hazards that may present a danger to an assistance dog or be sufficiently outside the dogs training so as to lead it to present a danger to its owner and others.

Except where a laboratory or workshop area is generally open to the public (such as during an open day) the introduction of an assistance dog to a laboratory area should be specifically risk assessed following the Department’s risk assessment process. It should be recognised that it is likely that most laboratory and workshop areas cannot be safely accessed by Assistance Dogs.

Exclusion

Should an Assistance Dog cause, or reasonably appear likely to cause, harm to others or damage to property the Head of Department (or their delegate) may exclude the Assistance Dog from the Department. Such an exclusion would be pending consultation with the training organisation (in the case of Assistance Dogs (UK) trained dogs) or a training assessment by a third-party, such as the Assistance Dog Assessment Association, in the case of other dogs represented to be assistance dogs.V1

Approved by HOD 9/10/24