Service Animal or Emotional Support Animal: What’s the Difference?

This resource explains differences among service animals, emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy animals. It addresses trained tasks, doctor’s letters, and workplace accommodations. ADATA.org The added mental health note explains that psychiatric service dogs perform specific tasks related to a person’s disability, such as responding to an approaching anxiety attack. Emotional support animals may provide valuable companionship, but comfort alone does not establish service-animal status under ADA public-access rules. The distinction concerns trained tasks rather than the seriousness or visibility of a mental health condition. ADA.gov