Ada Service Dog Definition

Service animal defined by title ii and title iii of the ada.

Ada service dog definition.

The definition of a service animal under each of these laws is different from the definition under the ada. Content was developed by the mid atlantic ada center and is based on professional consensus of ada experts and the ada national network. 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.

The ada makes a distinction between psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals. Emotional support animals also called therapy or comfort animals have not been trained to perform work or tasks. A service dog is a specifically task trained to help an individual with a disability that substantially limits one or more life activities. 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.