Page 3 | To believe a bitey puppy in a children's group is not an emotional support animal

Original poster

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:59

SquashedSquid · 22/04/2025 16:56

As someone with an assistance dog, this is not how it works. Was the puppy just let loose with the children?

If she's claiming it's an ESA, these don't exist in the UK and can be removed from anywhere.

If she's owner training an assistance dog, it can be turned away until fully trained and it is legal for the owner of an organisation or a building to remove them.

Letting a puppy run free in a room full of children is NOT assistance dog training and is NOT a working assistance dog.

I'd be fuming. People like this are the ones who are making it much more difficult for disabled people with assistance dogs to exist. They don't give a shit that their untrained, fake assistance dogs can literally distract a medical alert dog, causing death.

I think you've summed up exactly why it has been bothering me. İt's just making people who do things properly, for their disabilities look silly.

OP posts:

SquashedSquid · 22/04/2025 16:56

As someone with an assistance dog, this is not how it works. Was the puppy just let loose with the children?

If she's claiming it's an ESA, these don't exist in the UK and can be removed from anywhere.

If she's owner training an assistance dog, it can be turned away until fully trained and it is legal for the owner of an organisation or a building to remove them.

Letting a puppy run free in a room full of children is NOT assistance dog training and is NOT a working assistance dog.

I'd be fuming. People like this are the ones who are making it much more difficult for disabled people with assistance dogs to exist. They don't give a shit that their untrained, fake assistance dogs can literally distract a medical alert dog, causing death.

TeenLifeMum · 22/04/2025 16:55

Bonkers. Doesn’t sound like training at all. I have 2 spaniels and ddog1 was a bitey cockerdile for 6 months. Ddog2 however is the most gentle puppy that would be ideal with children in that kind of setting. The owner is deluded!

HappiestSleeping · 22/04/2025 16:55

SnoozingFox · 22/04/2025 16:16

Emotional support animal = cheeky fucker who can't be arsed to train their animal to be left unattended, wants to bring it to all sorts of places it shouldn't be, and has bought a jacket for it from Amazon.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61596623

This 👆

Clockface8 · 22/04/2025 16:52

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:49

I don't wanna say and have omitted a couple of other details, because if they're on Mumsnet they'll know which of the other parents I am!

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Why?

managing interactions with dogs is an important t part of development and this seems like a good op given a puppy

MeAndMyCatCharlotte · 22/04/2025 16:51

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:40

İt's a home ed group. So primary school age.

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I see. I am allergic to dogs that that would literally really irritate me. So inconsiderate.

Original poster

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:50

PenelopeJane91 · 22/04/2025 16:47

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. A herding breed in and amongst children with no supervision! 😩

So bloody irresponsible.

That's what I was thinking...

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Original poster

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:49

Clockface8 · 22/04/2025 16:44

How old is your child op?

I don't wanna say and have omitted a couple of other details, because if they're on Mumsnet they'll know which of the other parents I am!

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Clockface8 · 22/04/2025 16:49

Lazlothevampire · 22/04/2025 16:46

I knew it would be a home ed group. No shade on home ed - I home educated one of mine for 8 years, so I know how unorganised and hellish these groups are and how batshit some of the other families can be 🤣

They were stupid to bring a puppy along.

Edited

Me too

I didn’t dare say it though!

PenelopeJane91 · 22/04/2025 16:47

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. A herding breed in and amongst children with no supervision! 😩

So bloody irresponsible.

Lazlothevampire · 22/04/2025 16:46

I knew it would be a home ed group. No shade on home ed - I home educated one of mine for 8 years, so I know how unorganised and hellish these groups are and how batshit some of the other families can be 🤣

They were stupid to bring a puppy along.

andtheworldrollson · 22/04/2025 16:44

my suspicion is that it’s only a trained support dog that can’t be turned away. One in training isn’t yet a support dog and so can be excluded

homeedmam · 22/04/2025 16:44

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:42

No, it's official and set up with some kind of funding for home ed kids.

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I'd speak to the organisers then.

Clockface8 · 22/04/2025 16:44

How old is your child op?

Clockface8 · 22/04/2025 16:44

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:42

I don't know, I've only been a few times as it's relatively new and my child didn't want to go for a few weeks because of the child turning up and being aggressive the second time we went. I was hoping it would be calmer as I emailed the leader about it straight after and she said she would implement a no touching rule.

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Do you have the number of any of the others that you have got on very well with?

Boomer55 · 22/04/2025 16:43

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 15:38

Someone has brought a bitey puppy to a children's group and said that because they are training it to be an emotional support animal for a SEN child, they cannot legally be asked to keep it at home.

İs this true?

Emotional support animals have no status. If it nips or bites, it shouldn’t be around young children.

Original poster

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:42

homeedmam · 22/04/2025 16:40

Is it just a casual parent led group?

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No, it's official and set up with some kind of funding for home ed kids.

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Original poster

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:42

Clockface8 · 22/04/2025 16:39

Are you the only one who is considering leaving over this?

I don't know, I've only been a few times as it's relatively new and my child didn't want to go for a few weeks because of the child turning up and being aggressive the second time we went. I was hoping it would be calmer as I emailed the leader about it straight after and she said she would implement a no touching rule.

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frankie001 · 22/04/2025 16:41

My dog is a Therapy dog, when she is working she is in uniform, and always on lead. Permission is asked to ensure people want to greet her. I would never leave her alone.

homeedmam · 22/04/2025 16:40

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:25

Well to be fair as soon as someone said it's biting the children, they put it in its buggy secured away, but my worry is if they come back and get it out for five minutes petting time and I have to tell my child they either can't pet it whilst the other children are and cause upset, or risk them getting bitten.

I don't think I'll go back. İt was a home ed group.

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Is it just a casual parent led group?

Original poster

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:40

MeAndMyCatCharlotte · 22/04/2025 16:40

A toddler group (I assume it was this?) is not an appropriate environment for a puppy. Did the owner check with the organisers if the dog was allowed in? Did anyone consider that some people might be allergic to dogs?

İt's a home ed group. So primary school age.

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Original poster

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:40

Echobowels · 22/04/2025 16:31

Ah yes, a home ed group. Having been a home ed family for several years and attended similar groups, I can completely imagine the situation!

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I thought it was just me that noticed it 😂 I don't go to many as the lack of boundaries and lack of organisation is too much. We do after school clubs with better discipline from their leaders and usually do our own thing in the day.

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MeAndMyCatCharlotte · 22/04/2025 16:40

A toddler group (I assume it was this?) is not an appropriate environment for a puppy. Did the owner check with the organisers if the dog was allowed in? Did anyone consider that some people might be allergic to dogs?

Clockface8 · 22/04/2025 16:39

Are you the only one who is considering leaving over this?

Original poster

Thegreengreenleavesofmay · 22/04/2025 16:38

Speckly · 22/04/2025 16:31

If she was really training it, it would have been on a lead and she would have been using instructions with it. Just letting it lose isn’t training it at all 🙄
Rather than just not go back, I’d contact the group organiser asking them to intervene before the next session, giving them all the information you’ve been given here. The woman has a new puppy that she’s going to claim is an assistance dog but is definitely just trying it on 🙄

Ah... I already spoke to them about the child attacking other children and they said they would ask the parent if they (the leader) could intervene in future. I did reiterate a few times that the parent themselves needs to be supervising constantly, and there's no judgement towards a SEN child's outbursts to ask them to be supervised. I personally believe the leader is trying to be diplomatic and not cause any upset, but with the dog thrown into the mix now, I can see how the leaders lack of boundaries is becoming a safeguarding issue.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm still in two minds about leaving or staying as it's a brilliant group otherwise due to the people who attend and the activities on offer, but if I did leave at least I know I'm not being dramatic!

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