What is a service animal under the ADA, and what tasks can it perform?

• A. A trained dog that performs tasks to assist a person with a disability; it must be allowed in public spaces.
• B. A cat trained to open doors; allowed only in certain facilities.
• C. Any animal trained to fetch items; allowed with no restrictions.
• D. A comfort animal; allowed everywhere.

Answer: (A)

Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog that has been individually trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a disability for a specific person. The work must be directly related to the person’s disability and can include tasks like guiding a blind person, alerting a person who is deaf, pulling a wheelchair, or recognizing and responding to a medical event such as a seizure. Because these tasks enable the person to function more independently, service animals are allowed in public spaces.

Other options don’t fit because the ADA primarily covers dogs as service animals; a cat trained to open doors isn’t considered a service animal under the ADA, and a dog trained merely to fetch items isn’t automatically a service animal unless the fetch tasks address a disability. Comfort or emotional-support animals aren’t granted the same public-access rights as service animals.