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

Only service animals are welcome. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026

More generally, the property allows service animals and there are accessible routes from the entrance to accessible rooms. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026

Dickinson said that the law allows primates under 30 pounds only as a true service animal. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026

Alexa emphasizes that distractions or misunderstandings around service animals can have serious consequences. —Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above