A new standard will improve access for disabled people and stop the spread of fake assistance animals.
There are lots of access problems when you move around Europe with a guide dog. It's even worse in the US because of fakes. To stop the chaos that is developing in the US, we are working on a standard for assistance dogs.
Guide dogs and other recognised assistance dogs are allowed to travel in the cabin of an aircraft with their handler. However, there is no definition of "recognised assistance dog", which causes problems for airline staff and disabled people travelling with their trained dogs.
EGDF members are working with delegates from Assistance Dogs Europe, International Guide Dog Federation and other professionals on the definition of a recognised assistance dog and a list of the types of disabilities that the dogs are trained to help. They are working with the European Standards Organisation and their national standards body to produce the first European standard for a living being. Once approved, it will be adopted by all European countries and should lead to an international standard.
The standard will include the welfare of the dogs, required skills for staff, methods of training and assessment, services for the beneficiary and access. The aim is to keep the standards high so that service providers and the general public know these partnerships can be trusted and can welcome them.