Helpful Facts About Service Animals
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Service animals play a vital role in the lives of people with disabilities, offering them assistance, companionship, and a greater level of independence. Here are several helpful facts about service animals:
Defined by Law
In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Some states and laws also recognize miniature horses as service animals.
Types of Service Animals
While dogs are the most common service animals, other animals can also be trained to assist individuals. However, the ADA primarily recognizes dogs and, in certain cases, miniature horses.
Service Animals Dogs are:
- Dogs
- Any breed and any size of dog
- Trained to perform a task directly related to a person's disability
Service Animals Are Not:
- Required to be certified or go through a professional training program
- Not required to wear a vest or other ID that indicates they're a service dog
- Emotional support or comfort dogs, because providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person's disability
Range of Services
Service animals can be trained for a variety of tasks, including guiding people who are blind, alerting individuals who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, and more.
Legally Protected
Under the ADA, service animals are allowed to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where the public is normally allowed to go. This includes restaurants, businesses, and all forms of public transportation.
Not Required to Wear Special Gear
While many service animals wear vests, harnesses, or tags for identification, the ADA does not require service animals to wear any specific gear or bear any identification.
Certification and Registration Not Required
The ADA does not require service animals to be certified or registered. The determination of a service animal's status is not contingent on professional training; animals trained by the handler are also recognized under the law.
No Pet Fees
Landlords and airlines cannot charge additional fees for service animals, distinguishing them from pets.
Health and Behavior
Service animals must be under the control of their handler at all times and must be housetrained. Businesses, airlines, and other entities have the right to ask an out-of-control animal to leave.
Limit on Questions
When it's not obvious what service an animal provides, only two questions are allowed to be asked: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. No documentation for the service animal can be required by businesses or other entities.
Psychiatric Service Animals vs. Emotional Support Animals
It's important to distinguish between psychiatric service animals, which are trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with mental health conditions, and emotional support animals, which are not granted the same legal protections to access public areas under the ADA. Service animals significantly contribute to the quality of life of their handlers, facilitating greater autonomy and societal participation.