REG - Wetherspoon (JD) PLC - Statement re Press Comment

J D WetherspoonAnnouncement

Mon 07:00

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
https://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20260209:nRSI1467Sa&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 1467S  Wetherspoon (JD) PLC  09 February 2026

 

 

J D WETHERSPOON PLC

 

9(th) February 2026

 

J D WETHERSPOON PLC

 

WETHERSPOON MAKES CLEAR ITS POLICY ON DOGS FOLLOWING BBC ARTICLE

 

The BBC published an article online ("Wetherspoon dogs policy could be
breaking the law, watchdog says", 6 February 2026), which gives a misleading
impression of Wetherspoon's dogs policy and the reasons for it.

Wetherspoon allows assistance dogs , but asks for proof of training
documentation from ADUK, an umbrella organisation, which states that its
"member organisations work to the highest internal standards of assistance and
guide dog training."

Wetherspoon has taken advice from senior counsel and understands that it
should make "reasonable adjustments" to accommodate those with disabilities,
but must take into account, also,  its responsibilities for the safety of
employees and the public.

The main legislation protecting those with disabilities is in the Equality Act
2010.

The duties towards the public and employees are contained in a range of
legislation, including the Licensing Act 2003, the Occupiers Liability Act
1957, the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

In formulating policies, account has to be taken of a substantial increase in
what the police call "dog incidents ".

For example, the BBC reported (8 October 2025) that there were "31,920 dog
attacks on people in England and Wales in 2024".

The BBC also said (11 April 2025) that Cleveland Police had reported a 163%
increase in dog incidents since 2019.

In another example, Gloucester Police reported a 70% increase in dog incidents
between 2019 and 2024.

The Financial Times reported (1 August 2025) that "the number of
hospitalisations from dog bites has doubled over the last twenty years."

A graphic example of problems in the hospitality industry is in a BBC report
(14 November 2025) in which "a child was bitten by a dog while visiting a
Costa Coffee in Kidderminster".

Wetherspoon itself has seen a big increase in dog incidents, even though only
assistance dogs are allowed.  15 staff were bitten by dogs in 2025, compared
to one in 2020.

All parties agree that bona fide assistance dogs should be permitted in pubs.
The only issue is whether pubs should request documentary proof of training.

Surprisingly, perhaps, ADUK, an organisation which upholds the need for
training and issues documentation accordingly, offers legal advice to the
public which conflicts with Wetherspoon's.

ADUK told the BBC that "identification", or documentation, was not a legal
requirement.

ADUK say, in effect, that documentation should not be requested and that pub
staff should judge a dog, after entry, by its behaviour.

The flaw in this approach is that the first sign of bad behaviour may be an
incident of a customer or employee being bitten.

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said:

"This is a complex area for pubs and other organisations. The interests of
those with disabilities need to be protected while, at the same time,
employees and the public have to be protected from a substantial increase in
dog incidents.

"The BBC article , unfortunately, did not explain Wetherspoon's broader legal
responsibility for the safety of its customers and staff, which we set out in
detail for them, and which is the reason for our policy.

"ADUK is an organisation which itself demands high levels of training for
assistance dogs,  for which it issues documentary proof.

"Yet it is offering, in effect, legal advice to the public, which states that
pub companies should not ask for documentation.

"Instead, according to ADUK, pub staff should be asked to make a judgement,
after a dog is already in the pub, as to whether it is trained or not.

"It is inevitable, as a matter of common sense, that ADUK's advice, if
followed, will lead to an increase in dog incidents in pubs, and may  already
have done so, in the absence of sensible checks in advance of entry.

"In contrast, Wetherspoon's policy clearly provides greater protection for
employees and the public, and is consistent with established regulations in
areas such as proof of age in pubs and blue badges for parking.''

 

ENDS

 

 

Enquiries:

Nigel Connor                 Legal Director
              07818 232529

Eddie Gershon              Company
Spokesman               07956 392234

 

Please send any questions by email to investorqueries@jdwetherspoon.co.uk
(mailto:investorqueries@jdwetherspoon.co.uk)

 

Notes to editors

 

1.     J D Wetherspoon owns and operates pubs throughout the UK. The Company
aims to provide customers with good-quality food and drink, served by
well-trained and friendly staff, at reasonable prices. The pubs are
individually designed, and the Company aims to maintain them in excellent
condition.

 

2.     Visit our website:  www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk
(http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk)

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  SPCBRGDDCBGDGLI



            Copyright 2019 Regulatory News Service, all rights reserved