Service animal is defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a dog (or, in rare cases, a miniature horse) that is individually trained to perform specific tasks to assist a person with a disability. The tasks must directly relate to the person's disability—general companionship or emotional support alone does not qualify.
Key requirements:
Training: The animal must perform work or tasks (e.g., guiding a blind person, alerting a deaf person, pulling a wheelchair, reminding someone to take medication, or interrupting a panic attack with trained behaviors like deep pressure therapy).
Species: Primarily dogs; miniature horses are allowed only if they meet size/handling standards and are reasonable in the setting.
No certification required: There is no legal need for vests, ID cards, or registration—status is based on training.
Service animals have broad public access rights:
Allowed in most public places (stores, restaurants, hotels, taxis, workplaces) where pets are normally prohibited.
Businesses can only ask two questions: (1) Is this a service animal required because of a disability? (2) What work or task has it been trained to perform? They cannot ask for documentation or demonstration.
Psychiatric service animals (e.g., dogs trained to detect and respond to psychiatric episodes) are fully covered as service animals—not to be confused with emotional support animals (ESAs).