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Assistance dogs

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust believes in providing equal access to all those using service dogs.

Assistance dogs, including guide dogs, provide independence for people with visual impairments, hearing difficulties, and other disabilities. Having a specially trained guide dog can change someone's life if they have significant vision loss. Working in partnership, the owner provides the directions based on their orientation skills, the guide dog takes the lead physically guiding them.

Moorfields Eye Hospital supports the 'Open Doors' campaign pioneered by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, and we warmly welcome guide dogs and other assistance dogs.

When visiting your clinic speak with the team who will be able to advise you on toileting areas for your dog. 

Logo of assistance dog

Assistance dog information:

  • The dogs are carefully matched with eligible individuals through specialist organisations and charities.
  • There's no minimum age for getting an assistance dog.
  • Assistance dogs come in all shapes and sizes! Larger breeds like golden retrievers, german shepherds, labradors, and even hypoallergenic standard poodles are commonly used.
  • Assistance dogs undergo intensive training to safely navigate their handlers around obstacles.
  • A standard assistance dog typically weighs between 27-40 kilograms so they can gently block and reroute their owner when needed.
  • The dogs do need to receive regular health checks and never stop training to ensure continuous high standards required of an assistance dog.
  • A working assistance dog will not wander freely throughout a premises, but will be kept on a lead or harness (livery). 
  • Assistance dogs are working whenever the livery is in place; when removed this would indicate a rest period for the dog.
    • When the dog is wearing its livery (working), do not touch or distract them. 
    • Even when the dog is 'off-duty' always ask the handler before touching or stroking them.
  • There is no legal requirement in the UK for assistance dogs to be identifiable with livery or an identification tag.

Assistance dogs misinformation:

  • Assistance dogs always wear a harness and identification tag.
    • It is not a legal requirement for assistance dogs to be identifiable. Whilst socially accepted that assistance dogs will have something to identify them it is the choice of the owner and not a requirement. 
  • Owners should carry an identification card.
    • Some owners may carry an identification card with information about the assistance dog charity they are associated with. However, this is not a requirement and very few organisations issue ID cards; most dogs trained in the UK will not receive an ID card. 
      There is no UK registry for assistance dogs in the UK. There is no legal requirement for assistance dogs to be registered or certified in the UK. Third-party organisations are available to register for ID cards, but this is not a legal requirement in the UK and the ID card may not be nationally recognised. 

Visiting Moorfields with your assistance dog

We always try to keep owners and their dogs together, however there are circumstances where this may not be possible. 

Moving around the hospital

There may be rare occasions when the dog is not needed for mobility but still needs to stay with their owner, for example if they are being transported in a wheelchair or on a trolley. When not working, their guiding harness should be removed; this will indicate to the dog that it isn’t being worked. They can then be led alongside by their owner or by a volunteer.

Necessary separation 

If it is necessary that the owner and their dog have to be separated, we will ensure the period is kept to the shortest time possible. The dog will be as close as possible to their owner.

Emergencies and unplanned admissions

If the owner is admitted as an emergency case and is suffering from shock or is unconscious, it is likely that the dog will show signs of distress. In this instance we will try to contact a friend or relative to look after the dog. If this is not possible we will contact guide Dogs for the Blind Association will be contacted who will would arrange for the dog to be looked after.

Areas with prohibited access

There are some areas of the hospital where we cannot allow access to accessibility animals due to safety or hygiene. This includes:

  • Operating theatres
  • Oncology units
  • Intensive care units

Patients that have a guide dog usually make arrangements for their dog to be looked after whilst they are in hospital for a procedure. Your local guide dog mobility team who may be able to assist (london@guidedogs.org.uk or call 0345 1430213).

 

Assistance dog: dos and don'ts

Did you know, you should never pat or disturb a guide dog? Doing so can lead to the dog being distracted or distressed, and could cause unnecessary problems for their owner. To help we have created a short list of assistance dogs etiquette.

Do

  • Do ask permission to pet the dog or to allow children to pet the dog if the dog is out of harness and not working.

    • Speak to the handler, not the dog. Some handlers will allow petting, but be sure to ask before doing so.

    • If allowed, don't pat the dog on the head; stroke the dog on the shoulder area.

  • Do walk on the owner’s right side, a few paces behind when sharing a pavement.

    • The guide dog has been trained to be on the left.

  • Do teach children the difference between a pet and a working guide dog.

  • Do politely ask the handler to correct any errant behaviour or trespassing.

  • Do, while in seating waiting areas, ensure there is enough space for a guide dog so that it can remain with its owner.

Don't

  • Don’t interact with a working dog by petting, calling out the dog’s name, or giving the dog cues. A guide dog should only hear cues from its owner.

  • Don’t feed the dog anything without the handler’s permission, especially not table scraps.

  • Don’t attempt to guide, steer, or hold a person navigating with a guide dog.

  • Don’t grab or hold the dog’s harness.

  • Don’t allow your pets to interact with a working guide dog. When a Guide Dog is working in harness you should avoid your pet dog interacting with them as it may distract them just like a human would.

Last updated: November 2025