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Service Dog Etiquette

What is a service animal?

A service animal is not a pet under federal law. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a service animal is any animal that has been individually trained to provide assistance or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a physical or mental disability which substantially limits one or more major life functions. Some states have legislation that further defines a service animal.

Types of Service Animals

This is only a partial list of Service Animals:

Guide Dog or Dog Guide – Assist people with vision loss.

Mobility Dog – Retrieve items, open doors, push buttons, also assisting people with disabilities with walking, balance and transferring from place to place.

Hearing Alert – Assist people with a hearing loss to sounds.

Seizure Alert/Seizure Response – Also known as Medical Alert-alerts to oncoming seizures and is trained to respond to seizures such as "Get Help" or stay with the person.

Medical Alert/Medical Response – Alerts to oncoming medical conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, epilepsy, panic attack, anxiety attack, post traumatic stress disorder.

Etiquette

• Do not touch the Service Animal, or the person it assists, without permission.
• Do not make noises at the Service Animal; it may distract the animal from doing its job.
• Do not feed the Service Animal; it may disrupt his/her schedule.
• Do not be offended if the person does not feel like discussing his/her disability or the assistance the Service Animal provides. Not everyone wants to be a walking-talking "show and tell" exhibit.

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