service animal

A service animal is a specially trained dog that assists individuals with disabilities by performing tasks related to their condition, such as guiding someone who is visually impaired or alerting a person with PTSD to signs of a panic attack. These animals are recognized under laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, which grants them access to public spaces. Service animals undergo training to reliably perform their tasks and are different from therapy or emotional support animals, which provide comfort but do not have specific training for disability-related tasks.