Not a direct taxi/PH related news story, but definitely an indirect one that could/should help drivers defend refusals of Emotional Support Dogs.
Emotional support dogs causing chaos in courtshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/0 ... ockney-uk/Defendants must be stopped from bringing untrained pets to cases, judges told after animals defecate in courtrooms and ‘attack’ witnesses
Defendants must be stopped from bringing untrained “emotional support” dogs and other animals into courtrooms after several cases were disrupted by barking and growling, judges have been told.
Judiciary officials have shared guidance on dealing with the issue following a surge in defendants and witnesses seeking to bring along pets to help them cope with stress.
There have been reports of “untrained” animals jumping at or even attacking witnesses – including people who are scared of dogs or have allergies.
US courtrooms have also seen a similar recent increase in people bringing animals, including ducks, a squirrel and an alligator, to cases.
An alert sent to courts, seen by The Telegraph, states: “Increasingly, parties have been trying to bring emotional support animals (ESAs) into court and tribunal hearings in much the same way as a disabled person would bring in a highly trained assistance dog.
“Assistance animals, such as guide dogs, hearing and medical alert dogs, are covered by equality legislation which means courts must allow them into proceedings.
“ESAs, however, are not regulated, have not necessarily undergone any training nor serve a specific function, and in some instances may be little more than family pets; there have been examples of people bringing cats and lapdogs into courts and tribunals, without making any advance requests.”
Cat accompanied alleged stalker in dockLast year, at Grimsby Crown Court, Vincent Harvey brought his nine-week-old Staffordshire terrier with him when he was sentenced to eight months in prison for dangerous driving.
His dog ended up urinating and defecating on the floor of the court’s foyer after he was sentenced.
In 2017, Aidan Wiltshire, a 73-year-old man accused of stalking, was allowed to bring his pet cat to his trial at Chelmsford Crown Court to help calm his nerves.
The next edition of the Equal Treatment Bench Book, which provides advice to courts in England and Wales, would be updated to include guidance on the issue, the alert from officials said.
In the interim, courts have been urged to follow the advice of Judge Clare Jane Hockney.
She wrote in a recent article: “There is concern that allowing court users to bring in potentially untrained pets, claiming them as ESAs, could cause disruptions that significantly impact on the fairness of the hearing and the rights of others.
“For example, an uncontrolled dog barking or growling throughout the hearing, or jumping at other witnesses, particularly where a person is scared of animals or has an allergy to dog hair.
“There is anecdotal evidence of this happening in tribunals. Untrained pets could further particularly interfere with genuine assistance dogs by barking, jumping at or even attacking them. There is of course no requirement to admit a regular pet.”
Untrained pets ‘should not be permitted’Judge Hockney said judges should ask anyone who wanted to bring an ESA to “explain” how it might assist their mental health or participation in the hearing.
This would normally include a medical or psychological report about their condition and how the animal supported them, she added.
The person would also be expected to provide evidence of their pets’ training, such as certificates.
“They would need to provide confirmation that the animal will lie next to the owner, be on a lead (for a dog), or under the person’s control, not foul in the courtroom, not jump up or wander freely,” she added.
Judge Hockney said all sides in a case should be consulted, “with any objections, such as serious dog allergies, which should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to admit the ESA.”
Alternatives could include a witness or defendant giving their evidence remotely by video with their ESA alongside them.
However, judges would still retain the right to exclude an animal if they decided an in-person hearing was required, she advised.
“The judge will need to carefully balance up the competing rights to come to a decision. While a disabled person can simply bring their assistance dog into court, without giving prior notice, and be accommodated, a person should not just turn up at court/tribunal with their ESA and expect to be allowed in by simply stating that it supports their mental health,” said Judge Hockney.
She added: “A pet that is untrained and meets no evidenced mental health needs should not be permitted. Judicial oversight is vital as abuse of the use of ESAs could impact on those with genuine needs, and even lead to a general scepticism of genuine assistance dogs.”
In January 2016, Judge Lynn Roberts, a family judge for Essex and Suffolk, permitted dogs into Chelmsford county court in what was a UK first.
Pets As Therapy, a national charity, and Canine Concern, a similar organisation, were tasked with providing the animals, with the aim of reducing stress for witnesses and defendants.
Judge Roberts said she would have “loved” to also allow donkeys into court but stopped short because of their size. The scheme came to an end in 2019 when a new judge ruled against it.
Truro Crown Court in Cornwall followed suit in early 2018 by allowing therapy dogs to help witnesses before they gave evidence.
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