A campaigning mum from Kinross hopes the memory of her much-loved dog will help change the law for people who need “emotional support animals”.
Elizabeth Crammond took up the challenge to change UK equalities law after sadly losing Daisy in March.
The Yorkshire terrier, who joined the family in 2009, was a constant companion and helped Elizabeth cope with stressful situations.
She has fybromialgia and other debilitating conditions, and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The presence of her canine companion was a constant source of comfort after her own mother died from cancer in 2011.
‘I lived my life around her’
Daisy, classed as an emotional support animal with a doctor’s note to prove it, would still be turned away from places including restaurants and public venues.
“After my mum passed away, Daisy was my emotional support,” Elizabeth told The Courier.
“She was the tiniest thing, she went everywhere with me to the point I lived my life around her.
“I was having a lot of anxiety and panic attacks, and that’s where my fybromialgia would come in.”
The condition flared up under stress, she says, causing even more anxiety about leaving the house and living a normal life.
“Daisy knew when an attack was coming and she would bring me back into the zone,” Elizabeth said.
Daisy would even help support her own little daughter, now four, as she was growing up.
Elizabeth, 42, who works in education, realised she would have to change the Equality Act 2010 to put support animals on the same footing as guide dogs.
She’s doing that by enlisting help from her local MP Pete Wishart and lodging a petition at Westminster to show UK-wide support.
Elizabeth says the change of the law will also help people with unseen conditions, avoiding embarrassing situations in public places.
Her petition – called Daisy Companion Law – is live on the Commons website.
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