What is a service dog?

Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. These are what is referred to as Emotional Support Animals .

A handler is the person the service dog works for.

A task is something that individually caters to the need of the handler. Examples of this include but are no where limited to guiding the blind, pulling a wheelchair, or clearing a room for someone with PTSD. Other common tasks include heart rate alert for an individual with a cardiac issue, gluten detection, reminding an individual to take medication and protecting the head during a seizure. These are some of the most common tasks you will see but they can range from turning on a light switch to preforming deep pressure therapy during an anxiety attack to alerting people who are deaf. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.

SERVICE ANIMAL REGRESTRIES ARE FAKE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. There is no national database to keep track of all service dogs. In order for it to be a service dog the dog the dog must be potty trained, understand basic commands, and have at least one reliable task. Service animals are not pets and they are not allowed to behave like them when on duty. 

According to the ADA , service animals must be harnessed, tethered or leashed unless it impacts the animals safety or the ability to task effectively. The animal has to be under control at all times through the means of voice communication, hand signals, or other means of communication. Service dogs are not required to be professionally trained as they can be owner trained. 

A service dog has full access rights with only a few exclusions. These include religious buildings and sterile environments.  A good rule of thumb is if you cannot wear street clothes, the dog cannot be present. Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid excuses for denial of entry. Staff are allowed to ask two questions where it is not obvious the animal is working. This includes: 

                                             (1) Is this animal a service animal?

                                             (2) What jobs or tasks is this animal trained to                                                                  preform?

The staff may not ask about the nature of the person's disability, require proof, or ask the dog to demonstrate its task. A person cannot be asked to leave the premises unless the dog is out of control of the handler and does not take effective action to control it or if the dog is not housebroken. Even establishments that sell food must allow a service dog in. 

Service dogs are considered as medical equipment. Please do not distract them as they are there to be their handers lifeline when an issue arises. Their are different classifications of service animals such as medical alert/response, psychiatric, guide dogs or multipurpose. The ADA does not require them to be labeled as such with either a vest or harness. On occasion a person will require the use of two service animals which is perfectly legal.

Any breed can be a service dog. 

Service dogs cannot generally be placed in carts and must remain on the floor at all times. Their are exceptions to this as some small dogs may be carried in a pouch on the handlers chest to be able to smell their breath if they monitor glucose. 

Service dogs are protected under the Air Carrier Access Act and they Fair Housing Act. This prohibits the denial of service dogs and prohibits additional fees being imposed because of the animal. The only times fees are allowed to be charged is if the animal is destructive and/or has broken or damaged part of the residence or hotel. Service animals may not be denied hotel access nor are they restricted to a pet friendly room. 

Service dogs are not allowed to be fed from the table or to sit on furniture in public establishments. 

If an individual thinks that they have been discriminated against they can contact the Department of Justice. It is a misdemeanor to distract, attempt to steal or assault a service dog. Some states like California this also means a fine and possible imprisonment.