The ADA and Service Animals [2.2.2.I.d.ii]

Under the ADA, a service animal is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other disabilities. Tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. The ADA provides requirements for service animals on its website. 

Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not considered service animals. There is current discussion on the inclusion of other animals as service animals, which can be found on the ADA website.

However, the ADA definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act. Some state and local laws also define service animals more broadly than the ADA. Information about such laws can be obtained from the State attorney general’s office.