- By Millie
- Young BBC journalist
Service dogs like Oscar can prove invaluable to students who need help navigating college
Packing for university doesn’t usually involve dog treats, leashes and poop bags, but for students in the UK’s growing community of 7,000 assistance dogs, these are essential .
BBC Young Reporter winner Millie, who uses they/them pronouns, is raising awareness of the vital support these dogs offer as well as the challenges faced. This comes after Millie’s plans to experience their freshman year with their dog Reggie ended when he failed training.
Here, they share their story and talk to two students – not involved in the Young Reporter program – who have experienced campus life with their dogs.
Hi, my name is Millie. I’m 19 years old and my dog Reggie changed my life.
I am autistic and live with chronic pain and anxiety. This means that going out in public can sometimes be overwhelming, but Reggie has made me feel much more confident in public spaces and kept me calm in times when I might have difficulty, such as on transport.
Realizing the lack of reliable information about service dogs in college, at age 16 I created a online information center called Cate UK to fill the void and help others.
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Social media has been a blessing and a curse, fostering community and awareness, but also spreading misinformation.
The public often does not understand the difference between guide dogs and service dogs, which help with a wider variety of tasks and disabilities.
There is also a lack of clarity around legal guidance, training standards and funding, leaving landlords protected but lacking a formal definition under the Equality Act. Guides from the Equality and Human Rights Commission are the most detailed available.
This confusion can also affect how universities interpret the law and lead to lengthy misunderstandings with students.
Assistance dogs – a quick guide
- Anyone can train a service dog, and the UK does not have a registration or certification process for animals.
- A service dog is generally considered fully trained when it helps the owner manage the disability, is housebroken, and behaves calmly in public without moving freely.
- Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers – which include businesses and universities – cannot discriminate against people with highly trained assistance dogs and must make reasonable adjustments to enable the access.
- Landlords must accommodate disabled tenants with service dogs and cannot charge extra for them.
This is why I and many others have turned to training our own dogs. I worked with an online trainer, as well as in-person and group classes. Reggie did well, but he struggled to control his barking and, despite our best efforts, we eventually ran out of time.
I spent well over £1,000 on training costs, but the emotional toll was worse. When you spend time training a dog and they help you gain independence so much, it can be a devastating blow to lose that independence. It took me months to get over the feeling of guilt for letting him down.
Reggie is still with us, just as a pet and is still a complete idiot. I still completely love him.
I loved my first term of studying electrical engineering at York University and managed to get by in my own accommodation, but I’m still hoping that a service dog can join me in the future .
Morgan and Sabbath – study veterinary medicine and surgery at Harper and Keele Veterinary School
Morgan, 21, lives with anxiety and several health issues, including chronic fatigue and Tietze syndrome, a rare inflammatory disorder causing chest pain.
Morgan and Sabbath
My health problems started at home and worsened in college. As a young student, I tried to hide them, because at the time I was afraid of being known as a sick or disabled person.
But by the second year, the combination of extreme fatigue, pain and regular fainting episodes caused me to fall behind in my work, causing depression.
Luckily, I was able to retake the year and did well. Around this time, I also became interested in service dogs.
My first dog, Orla, was self-taught, but despite our strong bond, obedience became an issue. It was heartbreaking, but I had to find him a new home. Fortunately, she now lives with a wonderful family and I can still visit her and receive news.
A few months later, I met my current dog, Sabbath, and we managed to bond for this academic year.
The university was supportive. Before allowing Sabbath to come with me, they required a minimum level of obedience from her, which we demonstrated as our good Kennel Club citizen (bronze award).
As she is still young, we are continuing obedience training to prepare for her public access exam, usually taken by service dogs at 18 months old. Our goal is for her to achieve the Kennel Club Gold Award.
These courses are not legally required, but are widely accepted.
Sabbath won’t grow much since she’s a toy poodle, but she doesn’t let size hold her back.
Its impact on my routine was enormous: it kept me from falling into a downward spiral and dramatically increased my college attendance. I have also gained confidence in leaving the house knowing she is there.
Daily tasks include reminding me to take anti-inflammatories, warning me of impending Tietze attacks and fainting episodes. She can also perform deep pressure therapy, using her body weight to slow my heart rate and prevent seizures.
I wake up an hour early for the Sabbath morning walk, which means no need to jump out of bed 10 minutes before a lecture! She stays with me for all classes, seminars and most practical work, with the exception of dissections and agricultural practical work, when I leave her in a kennel. Lunch gives him a moment of relaxation and a toilet break.
Students and staff know Sabbath’s role and how to deal with her, and everyone on campus has been fantastic. They respect her more than the general public, who often try to pet her even when she is working, wearing a clearly signed harness. I never feel awkward or nervous walking around my university, it’s amazing.
Placements were a little more difficult. Service dogs are very rare in my field and although Sabbath has transformed academia for me, more awareness is needed in wider society.
Jessie and Oscar – graphic illustration graduates from Winchester School of Art
Jessie, 24, uses a wheelchair and lives with anxiety and chronic pain.
Jessie and Oscar at their graduation
I have been partnered with Oscar, a yellow Labrador bred by the charity Canine Partners, for over a year – he joined me for my final year following a medical deferral.
I was originally supposed to be at the top of a waiting list in 2020, but Covid stopped everything. Looking back, I’m happy because Oscar, who was too young then, is now my ideal companion.
That’s not to say that the first few months together were easy—being responsible for another life on top of going back to college seemed overwhelming at times, but the benefits, both physical and mental, made every difficult moment worth it.
As a wheelchair user, Oscar’s physical assistance relieved tension, whether it was opening doors, helping me pick up dropped items, or removing my coat. However, it was his emotional support that really changed things for me. I went from avoiding having to speak in front of people, to enjoying talking preparation because he made things less scary by distracting me or licking my hands to comfort me.
For my final project, I decided to raise awareness about service dogs by illustrating a book from Oscar’s point of view, talking about some of the tasks he does for me, his favorite things (mostly cheese) and showing off its little quirks that make it special. Me.
Image source, Jessie Hill
A page from Jessie and Oscar’s graphic illustration book explaining her tasks and the world through her eyes
I’m really proud of the response. People said it opened their eyes and I hope it helped educate.
At the end of the year, Oscar turned what was often a difficult experience into such a special moment: getting on stage with him at graduation was one of the most special moments of my life.
Additional reporting by Alex Taylor