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

The American Disabilities Act mandates that those with service animals cannot be denied rides, but many blind riders say drivers refuse to transport them. —Kristin J. Bender, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024

And, of course, service animals are trained to help reduce the burden of all sorts of chronic conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, schizophrenia, depression, and some allergies. —Katie Camero, SELF, 9 July 2024

Trained service animals and service animals in training are welcome and must be under control of the handler. —Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 23 Sep. 2024

Amenities include a multi-purpose common area on the first floor, a media room, a conference room, a fitness center, a washing station for service animals, a secure dog park and an outdoor greenspace for tenants, which will be completed in the coming months. —Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above