On Service Animals

Jo looks up at Jeanine

What is a Service Animal?

A service animal (in the U.S.) is a dog or miniature horse specifically trained to mitigate their handler's disability. Service animals are governed by the Department of Justice under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Fast Facts about Service Dogs

• You must be disabled to qualify for a service dog.

• Service dogs are trained specifically to help with a person’s disability — they are not just well-behaved pets.

• They are allowed in most public places (stores, restaurants, hotels) because they are medical assistance, not pets, and they are trained to stay calm in new or stressful situations.

• They are not emotional support animals — service dogs do specific tasks that make daily life safer or more manageable, not just provide comfort.

• You should never pet, call, or distract a service dog without asking — even if they look relaxed.

• A service dog’s vest is not required by law. What matters is the training and tasks, not the gear.

• There is no official U.S. registry or certification for service dogs. Behavior matters: if a dog is out of control (barking, lunging, relieving itself indoors), staff can ask that it be removed.

• It is both a federal and state crime to fake a service dog, with fines or even jail time in many states.

  
  

What Businesses Can Ask

By law, staff may only ask two questions:

1. Is the animal required because of a disability?

2. What task(s) is the animal trained to perform?

What Businesses Can’t Ask

• They cannot require paperwork, certification, or an ID card for a service dog.

• They cannot ask about the handler’s disability or medical history.

• They cannot demand the dog demonstrate its trained tasks.

What Should I Do if I See a Service Dog?

Pretend they are invisible. Even prolonged eye contact can distract them enough to cause them to miss an important cue...which may put the handler at risk. They aren’t robots—just like us, they need to focus to do their best work.

If you’d like, you can say something nice to the handler, but keep your attention on the human, not the dog. Some of the best compliments are:

• “Your service dog is so cute!”

• “I didn’t even know there was a dog there!”

• “I love your service dog!”

• “Awww, the way she looks at you!”

Some handlers have difficulty with communication, so always check the dog’s gear first. Patches may say things like “Don’t talk to me” or “Talking to my handler causes stress.” If that’s the case, please respect their wishes.

An Important Note on Faking Service Animals

Pretending a pet or Emotional Support Animal is a service dog isn’t harmless. It makes public access harder for real service dog teams, creates mistrust, and can even put disabled handlers at risk. Many states now have fines for misrepresentation — but more importantly, faking erodes the independence that legitimate teams work so hard to build. It's also stressful and can be traumatic for a dog to be taken to places they are not trained for. Service dogs spend hundreds of hours for 2 years to be calm and work in loud and distracting environments. Please leave your pets and ESAs at home.

🔗 To learn more, visit the ADA’s official page on service animals.