What are Service Animals Anyway?

 There is a lot of misinformation out there about what service animals are.  Ask ten different people about the rules regarding a service animals, and you will get eleven different responses¹⁾I am assuming there is an economist in the mix speaking out of each side of his mouth. I kid my economist brothers!

This post will help you understand what exactly a service animal is; stay tuned for later posts that will discuss service animals and different types of public accommodations.

What are Service Animals?

By service animals, the Congress means to say service dogs²⁾there is a very cute exception we will get to shortly.  It does not matter if your cute service monkey or cat has a neat little vest and can do any number of functions, these other creatures are not considered service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)³⁾the law that dictates what a service animal is.

The Justice Department defines service animals as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”  Assisting folks who are blind or deaf are obvious examples.  Bring trained to do specific tasks is what distinguishes a service dog from just a smart dog.

However, not all disabilities are physical.  Our brothers and sisters suffering from PTSD, for example, may travel with a service dog that is trained to assist them if they happen to suffer an emotional episode⁴⁾the dog may be trained to notice when his or her owner is suffering an emotional episode and will jump into the owner’s lap and start licking the owner’s face as a means to pull the person out of the episode; pretty neat stuff.

Emotional Support Animals vs. Psychiatric Service Dogs

Only the latter is protected by the ADA, so it is important to understand the difference.  The easiest way to understand the distinction is to remember that psychiatric service animals are trained to perform a specific function, like in the example above, the dog knew how to recognize a PTSD episode and react accordingly.

Emotional support animals, on the other hand, primarily comfort folks that are feeling bad.  Being cute and/or friendly is not sufficient training for the animal to be considered a psychiatric service animal⁵⁾Do not blame the messenger here; if it was up to me, we would all live with Portland-esq tolerance, where dogs were allowed to come and go as they please.

Miniature Horses!

Lastly, we cannot conclude a discussion of service animals without covering the newest service animals in the game, as of 2010, miniature horses⁶⁾The Justice Department defines miniature horses as those that range in height from 24 to 34 inches, weighing 70 to 100 pounds.

Public business must reasonably accommodate a disabled person and his or her miniature horse so long as the four assessment factors are met:

1. The horse is housebroken
2. The horse is controlled by the owner
3. The facility in question can accommodate the horse’s type, size, and weight
4. The horse’s presence does not “compromise legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operation of the facility”

To conclude, the ADA does not cap the number of service animals permitted to accompany a person.  Therefore, you will not have to choose if you want to take along your service dog or service miniature horse.