Service animals are animals trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities. These tasks can include guiding people with visual impairments, alerting those with hearing impairments, providing physical support for mobility, or even managing medical conditions like seizures. Service animals are typically dogs but can also be other animals in certain cases, depending on the disability and the tasks needed.

Assistance animals, on the other hand, are broader in scope. They are animals that provide support for individuals with disabilities, but they don’t necessarily have to be formally trained. For example, emotional support animals (ESAs) are often considered assistance animals, as they provide comfort and emotional support to their owners, though they do not perform specific tasks like service animals. These animals may be dogs, cats, or other animals that help with mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression.

Under the Fair Housing Act, both service animals and assistance animals are not considered pets and are granted housing rights, meaning they can live in housing units that may otherwise have “no pet” policies.