A bailiff who took her miniature yorkshire terrier on debt collection jobs has lost her case for discrimination after being told she was not entitled to have an emotional support dog at work.

Bella would accompany Deborah Cullingford, a county court bailiff operating in the Leeds area, to help with the stress of the job and the aftermath of three bouts of cancer. When colleagues spotted Bella in Cullingford’s car, she was told by management that as Bella was not a guide dog, she could not continue to take her on jobs.

Cullingford eventually resigned and accused her employers of disability discrimination by failing to make “reasonable adjustments” for her position. The tribunal in Manchester heard she had been employed as a county court bailiff since 2010 before getting Bella 10 years later.

In 2021, she was diagnosed with cancer for a third time and was on sick leave for nearly three months before returning to work full-time the following year.

During a mental health consultation with her employers, Cullingford explained her work was “difficult”, she worked alone a lot and that she found it “reassuring and calming” to have Bella with her.

She later filed a formal application to register her dog as an emotional support dog and wanted a letter from her GP which would say: “My dog enables me to work more effectively and focus more easily. I use my dog to talk things through with, this helps me process things that are going on and helps me relax. Having my dog with me enables...

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