‘No pets allowed’: The shameful case of the diabetic refused a home for having a medical assistance dog

David Rudkin, a type 1 diabetic, thought he’d found the perfect place to live for the third year of his maths degree in Bristol, writes James Moore. Then the landlord learned about his furry flatmate...

‘We ticked the box that said no pets because Beau is not a pet,’ Rudkin told me. ‘He’s more like a mobility aid.’ (David Rudkin)

Thought ableism was rare in modern Britain? You need to hear David Rudkin’s story.

I’ve been on the receiving end of some nasty experiences and I’ve talked to a lot of victims through the course of my job. But Rudkin’s struck even me as a particularly shocking and egregious case.

First, the background. Rudkin, like me, has type one diabetes, which is an autoimmune disorder that prevents us from metabolising carbohydrates and requires insulin – the homone that does the job – to be administered via injections or a pump.