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

And, no, a person with a service animal should not have to prove it constantly, but the practice should be trustworthy. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025

Businesses can’t ask for documentation showing the animal is registered, licensed or certified as a service animal, the ADA says. —Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 21 Jan. 2025

Passengers must submit a request to travel with a service animal and complete a Department of Transportation form. —Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, Fox News, 2 Dec. 2024

Furthermore, most AAIs do not use service animals, which are animals who perform tasks for individuals with disabilities. —Eric Wood, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above