Ada Service Dog Definition

A service dog is a specifically task trained to help an individual with a disability that substantially limits one or more life activities.

Ada service dog definition.

The ada makes a distinction between psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals. Service animal defined by title ii and title iii of the ada. A service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability including a physical sensory psychiatric intellectual or other mental disability. Under title iii of the federal americans with disabilities act ada and virtually all state laws a service animal is an animal that has been trained to perform work or tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.

Content was developed by the mid atlantic ada center and is based on professional consensus of ada experts and the ada national network. Emotional support animals also called therapy or comfort animals have not been trained to perform work or tasks. If the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact that would qualify as a service animal. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ada.