At Esplora, we are aware of the numerous benefits that assistance animals have on the quality of life of our visitors who require their support.
Assistance Animals include certified Guide Dogs, Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs and Emotional Support Animals.
To assist our visitors and acknowledge the valuable work which is being carried out by Service Dogs Malta Foundation and Guide Dogs Malta Foundation, we have created this new accessibility guide for our visitors to follow.
Certified Guide Dogs and Certified Service Dogs.
Esplora welcomes all certified Guide dogs and Service dogs inside the Interactive Science Centre, provided that they are wearing a harness which has been officially certified by the competent authority. If the harness has no contact details on it, the owner of the assistance dog must carry the assistance dog’s certificate or ID Card.
Esplora also welcomes Guide dogs and Service dogs that are still in training. Similarly, these dogs must also wear the official harness of the certifying organisation, and the owner must carry the dog’s ID card or an official letter from the trainer, if there are no contact details of the organisation on the harness.
Therapy and Emotional Support Animals.
Esplora also welcomes Therapy and Emotional support animals. To secure entrance to the Science Centre, the owner of the assistance animal must present an official letter at the reception. The official letter must be issued by a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a therapist, or social worker, and it must clearly state that the assistance animal is supporting its owner’s therapeutic program and needs. The letter must also include an identifiable description of the assistance animal and the contact details of the professional issuing such letter.
Rules and etiquette during your visit.
During your visit at Esplora, you are kindly advised to remain alert and prohibit other visitors from interacting with your assistance animal, since this may distract them from carrying out their duties properly.
Our Esplora Team will inform other visitors on the correct etiquette when interacting with assistance animals which are at work, especially with respect to guide dogs and service dogs.
Assistance animals must either be restrained with an appropriate harness or kept safely on a leash, otherwise they must be held in a suitable carrier that allows the animal to stand up and turn around, if needed.
The carrier must have: 1) At least two fully-ventilated side panels to allow proper airflow and; 2) A waterproof base or a lining made up of absorbent pads. The base must be intact without rips or tears which could enable the animal to escape.
Esplora has zero-tolerance for any form of animal cruelty or neglect. If a member of staff suspects that the assistance animal has been subjected to any form of cruelty or neglect, the matter will be reported to the relevant authority. The assistance animal must be always calm well-behaved, and it mustn’t demonstrate aggressive behaviours or bark excessively. The latter will be tolerated only if the assistance animal is barking to alert humans to an emergency.
Esplora does not tolerate any form of aggressive behaviour. If your assistance animal show signs of aggressive behaviour, you will be politely requested to leave the premises.
Bowls of water are available from EsploraCafé’.
You are allowed to take your assistance animal with you to the EsploraCafe’ outdoor dining area, however you are kindly requested to clean up any mess left by your assistance animal.
Toileting needs – Should your assistance animal need to relief themselves, kindly take them outside the Esplora premises to carry out their business. Please ensure to clean up afterwards. If your assistance animal is prone to relieving themselves frequently, they should preferably be kept in a suitable carrier while you are within the Esplora premises.
Upon arrival, please notify the Esplora reception team of any precautions, conditions or procedures we need to be aware of in case of an emergency.
If you have booked yourself a science-show or workshop, our team will allocate an aisle seat for your comfort and ease of access.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please email rusianne.mallia@gov.mt
