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 Pets and service animals may accompany riders, depending on park policies. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024 Trained service animals and service animals in training are welcome and must be under control of the handler. The Arizona Republic, 24 Jan. 2024 Expenses related to service animals may be deductible as medical expenses, the IRS says. Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Pets: No pets are permitted on the grounds, although service animals are allowed. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2024 The effect was a joyous event in which living with a disability was normalized, with friends and family members conversing excitedly with one another in sign language alongside people using wheelchairs, mobility canes and service animals. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2023 In the initial post, Schmidt, who has post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, did not note that Zoe is a service animal. Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2023 Julie McKinley, a former nurse at Brigham and Women’s hospital and the owner of Jameson, a Shetland sheepdog who works as a service animal at BWH, said that patients are often very stressed and animal therapy helps raise endorphin levels. Maggie Scales, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2023 And Brennan’s in New Orleans has seen a few service animals without their owner. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'service animal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of service animal was in 1988

Dictionary Entries Near service animal

Cite this Entry

“Service animal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service%20animal. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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