Assistance Dogs Aren’t Just Pets – Here’s Why ID Cards Help Explain Their Purpose

Assistance Dogs make everyday life possible for many disabled people in the UK. Whether it’s picking up dropped items, providing medical alerts, or offering emotional stability in public, these dogs do more than help. They give people a chance to go about daily life with confidence.

At The Card Project UK, we make personalised Assistance Dog ID cards that help explain each dog’s role. Our cards are the size of a credit card, made from biodegradable plastic, and are designed to be practical, clear, and professional. They’re especially helpful when visiting shops, cafés, or public spaces, where staff or members of the public might not understand what an Assistance Dog is or what it’s there to do.

Below we’ll explain each type of Assistance Dog we support with our cards, as well as the legal protections under the Equality Act. If you’re looking for information or trying to decide which of our cards suits your dog, this should help.

What is the Equality Act and Why Is It Important?

The Equality Act 2010 is the UK law that protects people from discrimination. One of the key parts of the Act is that it recognises disability as a protected characteristic. That means disabled people have a legal right to equal treatment in areas like work, education, transport, and public services.

For someone who has an Assistance Dog, this law matters. It means that businesses and service providers must make reasonable adjustments to make sure disabled people aren’t disadvantaged. In most cases, this includes allowing a trained Assistance Dog to accompany their handler into places that don’t normally allow dogs.

The law applies even if there’s a ‘no dogs’ policy. That’s because Assistance Dogs aren’t classed as pets — they’re part of a medical support system. Staff do not have the right to refuse entry just because someone has a dog. However, many people still don’t know the law, and that’s where our cards can help. They provide clear, instant information about what the dog does and why it needs to be there.

Here at The Card Project we offer a wide selection of Assistance Dog ID cards. Here's a full guide to the types of dogs we support with our cards.

Assistance Dogs – General Assistance and Everyday Help

Our Assistance Dog ID cards are designed for any dog that supports a disabled person in day-to-day life. There’s no single job that these dogs do – they’re trained around the needs of their handler. That might mean helping with mobility, fetching items, providing stability while walking, reminding someone to take medication, or helping manage anxiety in public places. These dogs aren’t limited to one condition. They support people with physical disabilities, long-term illnesses, neurodivergent conditions, sensory impairments, and more. Some handlers use wheelchairs, some walk unaided, some need quiet reassurance in busy spaces. What links them all is the value of having a trained dog by their side.

Our cards help explain their role clearly. This can be useful when entering public buildings, accessing transport, or just moving through busy spaces where the dog’s presence might be questioned.

Assistance Dogs in Training – Starting Their Journey

Training an Assistance Dog takes time and skill. During this process, it’s important that the dog gets used to working in public spaces. Our Assistance Dog In Training card shows that the dog is learning and needs access as part of their development.

This version is useful for trainers, owners, or organisations working with young dogs who haven’t yet qualified but are building experience. It helps avoid awkward conversations and gives people an understanding of why the dog is present.

Autism Dogs – Helping with Communication and Safety

Autism Dogs can support children and adults on the autism spectrum by providing calm, reducing sensory overload, and improving communication. They can also help prevent wandering and provide a feeling of safety in unfamiliar places.

Our Autism Dog card helps explain that the dog is a support animal, not a pet. This is especially useful when people with autism have difficulties explaining their needs. The card acts as a tool to reduce misunderstandings and give the person space.

Diabetic Dogs – Life-Saving Companions for Blood Sugar Control

Some dogs are trained specifically to alert their owners when blood sugar levels go too high or too low. Diabetic Dogs provide early warnings and can even fetch medication or help raise the alarm.

Our Diabetic Dog ID card helps the public understand that the dog is monitoring a serious condition. These dogs need to stay close and can’t be separated from their owner. The card makes this clear in situations where staff might not understand invisible conditions like diabetes.

Emotional Support Dogs – Providing Calm in Difficult Moments

Emotional Support Dogs aren’t covered in the same way under UK law as Assistance Dogs, but many people still rely on them for day-to-day wellbeing. These dogs help manage anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health challenges.

Our Emotional Support Dog card helps others understand that the dog is more than a pet. It can make travelling, shopping, or accessing services a little easier by offering a calm, professional explanation of the dog’s purpose.

General Dog Identification – Not Just for Assistance Dogs

Alongside our Assistance Dog range, we also offer a General Dog Identification card. This is designed for dogs who aren’t registered as Assistance Dogs but still need ID, for example when travelling or staying in pet-friendly accommodation.

It includes the dog’s name, photo, and other important details. While it doesn’t give public access rights, it’s still a useful tool for day-to-day identification.

Guide Dogs – Supporting People with Visual Impairment

Guide Dogs are probably the most recognised type of Assistance Dog. They help blind or partially sighted people move safely through streets, buildings, and public spaces.

Our Guide Dog card reinforces their professional role and includes space for a photo, the dog’s name, and their working status. It’s helpful in situations where the person might not be able to explain the dog’s purpose themselves.

Hearing Dogs – Alerting to Sounds and Everyday Safety

Hearing Dogs support deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals by alerting them to doorbells, alarms, or someone calling their name. These dogs offer independence and help with safety.

Our Hearing Dog ID card helps explain this role, especially in places where the person might not hear instructions or alarms. It’s a helpful way to reduce confusion and highlight that the dog is there for a purpose.

Medical Alert Dogs – Detecting Health Problems Before They Happen

Some dogs can be trained to detect changes in blood sugar, heart rate, or other medical signals. These are known as Medical Alert Dogs. They support people with conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, or heart problems by warning them before a medical event happens.

Our Medical Alert Dog card helps explain that the dog is working and must not be distracted. It’s a practical way to help others understand how serious the dog’s role is, and why they are essential for the safety of their owner.

Medical Alert Dogs in Training – Preparing for Critical Work

As with all Assistance Dogs, training is vital. Medical Alert Dogs must be exposed to real-world settings before they can perform reliably. Our Medical Alert Dog In Training card is made for this stage. It shows the dog is learning to respond to medical signals and needs public access as part of their education.

This card helps trainers and handlers avoid confusion or refusal at shops and public transport, especially during the early stages of development.

Mobility Dogs – Supporting Physical Independence

Mobility Dogs help people with limited movement by doing tasks like opening doors, picking up dropped items, or pressing buttons. They’re trained to support people with conditions such as arthritis, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis.

Our Mobility Dog ID card explains that the dog is essential for physical support. It’s useful in public settings where people may not realise how much work the dog is doing behind the scenes.

Neurological Dogs – Support for Complex and Hidden Conditions

People with neurological conditions such as epilepsy, functional neurological disorder (FND), multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s may benefit from having a support dog by their side. These dogs offer practical help, emotional reassurance, and can even be trained to alert to seizures or sudden changes in condition.

Our Neurological Dog ID card helps explain that the dog plays an important role in managing a serious health condition. Not all neurological issues are visible, and this card provides a simple way to explain the situation without needing to talk. It can be especially helpful in public places where staff or members of the public might ask questions or challenge access.

Seizure Dogs – Providing Protection and Peace of Mind

Seizure Dogs are trained to help during and after seizures. Some can even detect them before they happen. They might protect the person during a fall, fetch help, or stay close until the person recovers.

Our Seizure Dog ID card explains this clearly. It’s designed to give people around them the information they need without requiring the person to speak during or after a medical event.

Psychological Dogs – Everyday Help for Mental Health Conditions

Psychological Dogs support people living with mental health conditions such as PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, or past trauma. These dogs help reduce stress, interrupt distressing behaviours, and give their handler confidence to manage daily life. Some are trained, while others provide comfort simply by being present.

Our Psychological Dog ID card helps show that the dog is essential to the person’s wellbeing. It’s useful in public spaces where someone might struggle to explain why the dog needs to stay close. The card gives a clear explanation that the dog is a support animal, not just a pet, which can help avoid awkward questions or misunderstanding.

Therapy Dogs – Supporting Others in Schools, Care Homes and Hospitals

Therapy Dogs offer calm and comfort in everyday settings. Some support one person on a regular basis, while others visit care homes, schools, or hospitals to help more than one individual. Their main role is to ease stress, reduce anxiety, and provide reassurance through their presence.

Our Therapy Dog ID card includes the dog’s name, photo, and a description of their role. It helps explain why the dog is there and can make access easier in places where pets aren’t normally allowed. The card provides a clear and respectful way to show that the dog is part of someone’s emotional or therapeutic support.

Support your dog’s work with an Assistance Dog ID Card from The Card Project UK

If your dog plays an important role in your life, our cards are designed to help you both get on with things. They take the stress out of awkward questions and give people a better understanding of what your dog does. Whether you're in training or already working together, there’s a version that fits.

Start viewing the range and begin ordering an Assistance Dog ID Card from The Card Project UK today. It’s a simple way to make everyday life that bit easier – for you and your dog.

Learn More About Assistance Dogs and The Equality Act 2010: Your Full Guide to Rights, Access and Support

If you’re not sure what the law says about Assistance Dogs, or you’ve ever faced a challenge when out in public, it’s worth taking a few minutes to read our full guide: What You Need To Know About Assistance Dogs and The Equality Act 2010

We’ve broken it down into simple, useful sections so you can get the information you need without having to search all over the internet. Whether your dog is already trained, just starting out, or supporting a less visible condition, this guide is there to help you feel more prepared — and more confident. We know that there is so much to learn so we hope this will help.

Here’s what it includes:

1. Assistance Dogs and The Equality Act 2010: What the Law Actually Says A clear explanation of the legal rights that protect Assistance Dog users in the UK. We break down what the Act covers, what it means for you, and how businesses are expected to respond.

2. Trained for a Reason: What Counts as an Assistance Dog Under The Equality Act 2010 Find out what defines a dog as an Assistance Dog — including the importance of task-based training, how the law applies, and common misunderstandings about certification.

3. Shops, Cafés and Taxis: Where Assistance Dogs Must Be Allowed by Law This section explains exactly where Assistance Dogs have the right to go, and what public spaces must legally allow — even if they normally don’t permit dogs.

4. When the Law is Ignored: What to Do if Your Assistance Dog is Refused Entry If you’ve ever been stopped or challenged, this part gives practical advice on what to say, how to respond, and where to go for support.

5. Hidden Disabilities and Assistance Dogs: Understanding the Less Visible Needs Not every condition is visible. Here we explain how the law applies to hidden disabilities and why Assistance Dogs are just as important in those cases.

6. The Equality Act 2010 and Owner Responsibilities for Assistance Dogs Rights come with responsibilities. This section outlines what’s expected of you and your dog in public, including behaviour, control, and safety.

7. Not Just Guide Dogs: The Full Range of Assistance Dogs in the UK From seizure alert dogs to autism support, this part explores the many roles Assistance Dogs play — beyond the well-known guide dog.

8. Access All Areas? The Exceptions to Assistance Dog Rights Under The Equality Act 2010 Here we explain when access can legally be restricted, what counts as a valid exception, and how to tell the difference between lawful policy and discrimination.

9. Teaching Independence: How Assistance Dogs Are Trained to Support Everyday Life A closer look at how Assistance Dogs are trained, who can train them, how long it takes, and what training looks like in real-world settings.

10. What the Public Gets Wrong About Assistance Dogs and The Equality Act 2010 This section tackles common myths and mistakes, from people asking for ID to misunderstandings about the dog’s appearance, breed, or role.

11. Training and Identification: What Makes a Dog Recognised Under The Equality Act 2010 We explain what “recognised” really means under the law, and how public understanding and calm, trained behaviour matter more than paperwork.

12. Help on Hand: Where to Get Advice if You’re Unsure About Assistance Dog Rights A list of trusted places to get help — including legal advice, support organisations, and what to do if you’ve been discriminated against.

If you’re ever unsure what to say, where you stand, or how the law actually works — this guide has it covered. It's there to help you feel more confident, better informed, and supported every step of the way. You can read the full article here.