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)

A service animal is trained to assist a disabled person by performing specific tasks …

—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.

compare emotional support animal

Examples of service animal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Emotional support animals are not recognized as service animals under current rules. —Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026

Uber officials did not immediately respond to a request for details on their policies about service animals. —Steve Karnowski, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026

The ride-sharing company Lyft will ensure the rights of blind and other disabled passengers across the country to travel with their service animals under a settlement announced in Minnesota on Wednesday. —Steve Karnowski, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2026

Uber officials did not immediately respond to a request for details on their policies about service animals. —ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above