Guide dogs will be allowed to accompany their owners in aircraft cabins on long-haul flights into the UK under new legislation.

The legislation, which is scheduled for a July introduction, could be pushed forward and bought into effect earlier, according to the Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and animal health minister, Ben Bradshaw.

Currently, under the PETS Travel Scheme, there are no sealing requirements for dogs travelling to the UK on short-haul flights and there are a number of European routes where the airline allows guide dogs to travel in the cabin. But dogs entering the UK on long-haul flights must be transported in a sealed container.

However, under the new EU PETS regulation, which comes into force in July, this requirement will no longer apply for these flights.

There has also been pressure on Bradshaw from blind and deaf people, including home secretary David Blunkett, to introduce the new rules before July.

A DEFRA spokesperson, commenting on the likelihood of Bradshaw introducing the new legislation ahead of July, said: “The minister is looking to see whether we can introduce legislation early, under our own PETS scheme, to remove the sealing requirements before the EU legislation comes into force in July. However, it will still be a matter entirely for airlines as to how they transport animals to the UK.”