Service Animals vs. Emotional Support Animals
- lpaulbick
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Epiphany Health, LLC
May 12, 2025
For individuals living with physical or mental disabilities, service animals play a vital role in promoting independence, safety, and overall wellbeing. These animals assist with a variety of daily tasks, and research shows that people with service animals often feel more confident, require less outside assistance, and participate more fully in social activities.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and in accordance with some state and local laws, public establishments must make “reasonable modifications” to their policies to accommodate individuals with disabilities. This includes adapting “no pets” policies to allow access for service animals.
Service Animals
The ADA defines a service animal as a dog—or in specific cases, a miniature horse—individually trained to perform tasks directly related to an individual’s disability. These animals are not pets, but working animals trained to take specific actions when needed to support their handler.
Examples of service tasks include:
Guiding individuals who are visually impaired
Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing
Retrieving items or opening doors
Turning lights on and off
Providing mobility support
Reminding individuals to take medication
Detecting and responding to medical conditions such as seizures, changes in blood sugar, or life-threatening allergens
Psychiatric Service Dogs
Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are trained to support individuals with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more. These dogs perform specific tasks that mitigate the effects of psychiatric disabilities.
Examples of psychiatric tasks include:
Alerting to anxiety or panic attacks
Interrupting harmful behaviors
Providing grounding during dissociation or flashbacks
Retrieving medication or reminding the handler to take it
Clearing rooms or creating physical space in crowded environments
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide comfort and emotional stability simply through their presence. Unlike service animals, they are not trained to perform specific tasks related to a disability, and therefore are not recognized as service animals under the ADA. However, some state or local laws may provide limited public access rights for ESAs.
Key Differences: Psychiatric Service Dogs vs. Emotional Support Animals
While both psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals can benefit individuals with mental health conditions, their roles and legal status differ:
Psychiatric service dogs are trained to perform specific, disability-related tasks.
Emotional support animals offer comfort through companionship but are not trained to assist with specific needs.
As a result, only psychiatric service dogs have full access rights under the ADA.
Challenges in Healthcare Settings
Healthcare facilities often face challenges in accommodating service animals due to unclear policies, inconsistent procedures, and a lack of staff training. These gaps can lead to poor experiences for patients and put institutions at legal and reputational risk.
Epiphany Health is here to guide your organization in understanding ADA requirements and implementing inclusive practices. Together, we can ensure equitable, accessible care for all patients—including those who rely on service animals for essential daily support.
Rodriguez, K. E., Bibbo, J., & O'Haire, M. E. (2020). The effects of service dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing for individuals with physical disabilities or chronic conditions. Disability and rehabilitation, 42(10), 1350–1358. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2018.1524520
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