service animal

noun

plural service animals

: a domesticated animal and usually a dog that is trained to perform a supportive function for its owner (such as guiding an owner who is blind or alerting an owner who is deaf to sounds)

A service animal is trained to assist a disabled person by performing specific tasks: They guide the blind, signal the hearing-impaired, pull wheelchairs and so on.

—Cecil Adams

Now, service animals help people with a variety of conditions, such as autism, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder.

—Suzy Fleming Leonard

Michael was able to be retrained as a psychological service animal for Bessler, helping him deal with his traumatic brain injury.

—Alexandra Klausner

Note: Some government agencies (such as the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) have official definitions of service animal that are more restrictive than the term's meaning in general English.

Examples of service animal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Known for their friendly and sociable nature, goldendoodles are excellent family pets, service animals, and therapy dogs. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025

Arapahoe County Arapahoe County’s HAAT Force offers motel vouchers for families with children, people with disabilities, people over the age of 65, pregnant people, people with pets or service animals, transgender people and people recently released from the hospital. —Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2025

The Details: Location: A short walk from downtown Banff Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible rooms Wi-Fi: Free Nearby Attractions: Shopping along Banff Avenue Loyalty Programs: Currently none Parking: $18 CAD per day Pet Policy: Only service animals are allowed. —Laura Studarus, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2024

Some people with disabilities might also have trouble navigating difficult landscapes, struggle with air quality and need help caring for their service animals. —Esme Mazzeo, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above