I have an idea with regards to amending the approval process for Assistance Animals for people with a Disability/Psychiatric condition. The current rules require dogs to undergo behavioural training. In my case, I have a 13-year-old King Charles Cavalier cross. At her age, there is no way she would pass the training.

My idea is simply this, when the dog is in public area such as public transport or shopping centres, if they are in an enclosed carry case, they pose no potential threat to people or property. This negates the need for intensive training.

I propose there be 2 classes of Licences set up. The regular one as it stands and a Provisional one for instances such as this where the animal is in an encolsed carrier, just as we have Provisional Licences for Drivers.

It would mean that many people are not faced with the gut-wrenching decision to surrender their beloved companion so they can have a roof over their head. There are also many people who sleep rough as they would not leave their pets behind. They would then be covered by Anti-Discrimination laws when it comes down to housing. This might mean the dog is not able to accompany their owner to work (if they are employed) but it would help reduce the number of animals surrendered each year.

The current training requirements are quite prohibitive,especially if they are not trained whilst a puppy and the cost to train a dog is very expensive, making this a herculean prospect for many. It is also not easy to find people with the right qualifications to train dogs for this. It would also expand the opportunity for people with non-traditional pets to be included.