The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service dog as any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability. The disability can be physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or some other mental disability.
How is a service dog defined?
A service dog is a working animal. Although service dogs must be trained to perform certain task related to the individual’s disability, service dogs are not required to be professionally trained. Service dogs are not required to wear a vest, patch or any special harness to identify them as a service dog. Lastly, the ADA does not require any national certification or registration for service dogs.
