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Disabilities that Qualify you for a Service Dog

If you have a physical, emotional, or even mental disabilities, then you may likely qualify for a service dog. If you believe you qualify for a Service Dog and are ready to begin the progress of making your pet dog into your trusted partner, here is a helpful summary with next steps.
However, finding out what qualifies and what doesn’t qualify for a service dog can be a difficult task. If you’re looking for what qualifies for getting a service dog, three federal laws regulate and help define what qualifies for a service dog.
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1. ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as individuals with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
To break down this definition:
- The person must have a record and be regarded as having the impairment, which can including having difficulty hearing, seeing, walking, and learning, as well as a loss of physical or mental function
- Major life activities including activities that are essential to a person’s life, such as performing manual tasks.
2. FHA – Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act doesn’t specify what illnesses qualify for a service dog, but much of how they define service dogs rely on the qualifications of the Americans with Disability Act. While the act itself applies specifically to service animals, the FHA takes some of those qualifications and uses it to a grouping term, “assistance animals.” This includes both service dogs and emotional support animals under the Fair Housing Act.
Disability, according to the FHA, is a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities. The FHA states that for those looking for accommodations for housing, the housing provider must consider if the person seeking to live with the animal have a disability and if the service animal can alleviate the symptoms of that person’s disability. Besides that, the FHA doesn’t expand on what illnesses qualify as a disability.
3. ACAA – Air Carrier Access Act
The Air Carrier Access Act, on the other hand, does give more specifics on what qualifies as a disability. For those looking to take their service dogs while traveling, all airlines will accept service dogs without question, and will only not permit service dogs into the cabin of the aircraft if the animal is too heavy, poses a threat to others, cause disruption to the cabin service, or is not allowed in a specific country. One specific qualification for people flying is that their disability is listed underneath the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
List of Mental Disabilities that Qualify for a Service Dog
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, these are the types of disorders that qualify as a mental disability:
- Depression and Depressive Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders & Phobias
- Bipolar Disorders
- Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Addiction, Substance-Abuse, and Alcoholism
- PTSD, Trauma & Stress-Related Disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
- Dissociative and Personality Disorders
- Autism
- Neurocognitive and Sleep-Wave Disorders
However, the manual is more relevant for those who have a psychiatric service animal, emotional support animals or therapy animals. Those with service dogs will not be required to provide documentation or show proof of their disability. However, looking through the manual can help you determine whether a psychiatric service animal, an emotional support animal, or a therapy animal is the right choice for you.
List of Physical Disabilities that Qualify for a Service Dog
Service dogs can benefit their owner by providing a physical service or task. Service dogs can assist with a variety of tasks that include opening doors, carrying items, navigating their owner, providing balance, alerting their owners, locating objects, and more.
Physical disabilities that may qualify a person for a service dog:
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Sensory Disabilities (Blind, Deaf, etc.)
- ALS
- Cancer
- Cerebral Palsy
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Chronic Pain
- Stroke
- Paralysis
- Vertigo
- And more…
Frequently Asked Questions about the ADA and Qualifying Service Dogs
Your disability is enough to qualify you for a certified service animal. You don’t need to have social security disability, nor do you need to qualify your service animal through a mental health professional because the ADA only allows those asking about you and your service animal two questions:
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
- What task is the animal trained to perform?
Because of this, housing providers and staff of businesses cannot inquire about disability, require medical documentation, require a unique identifier for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its abilities.
Your service animal is a service, like a medical assistant, and is not considered to be a pet. Because they are service animals, it gives them the rights to be with you in public spaces. Service animals provide support for you as you live with your disability, so while no regulations are surrounding the training and registration of service animals, keep in mind that service animals are for those with disabilities, and are not just a free pass for you to take your pet anywhere you’d like. The ADA’s regulations are clear not but everyone will be aware of it. Local agencies such as NY’s MTA would recommend registering your Service Dog so you have a Service Dog ID handy in case you are asked.

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I have arthritis,diabetes on insulin, depression and anxiety. I have my own 6 month old pitbull. Wondering if I can use her have her trained or do I have to get one already trained .
Where can I find out how to get my papillon as an esa. Because I don’t have any money to pay for the id
To make Papillon your ESA, you would need to qualify for an ESA letter. You should ask your doctor/therapist if an ESA would be beneficial to treat your disorder. If you’re not seeing a doctor at the moment or your doctor disapproves, you can get a second opinion or apply for a legitimate ESA letter through a therapist online. You may find this article on how to get an ESA letter for your dog interesting: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-get-an-emotional-support-dog-letter/ Good luck to you and Papillon.
You can get her trained if she has the temperament, train with a professional or self train.
I was wanting to know if it is possible for me to get a service dog the reason I’m asking is because I get frustrated easily and I also have a tendency to freak out over everything especially at night and my biological mother smoked and drank when she was pregnant with me and that caused me to have some trouble learning when I was growing up and I would appreciate any comment
I had a female pit, and although she went through obedience training at 3 mos old, she was never trained to explicit tasks.
She knew just by watching me, and my actions, exactly what I needed. Also, times when 1 simple word was all that she needed to hear. On her own, in the airport, I said “Diamo, pull.” She pulled my wheelchair through a very busy and crowded Denver airport, without any prior training for such a task.
Pits are wonderful as service dogs. Their temperament is perfect.
Only reason some people have fear is because of stories.
If you show a pit love, it won’t be mean. It’s the ones who are trained to fight.
My diamo lived to couple weeks shy of 15 yrs, she raised baby kittens, puppies and a baby bunny.
I have a Brazilian Mastiff, she is a year old, an I would love to have her traine8as a service dog,,I have chronic pain ,do to back surgery an loose my balance, so how can I get her trained.
I have a Brazilian Mastiff, she is a year old, an I would love to have her traine8as a service dog,,I have chronic pain ,do to back surgery an loose my balance, so how can I get her trained.
How do I go about training my dog to be a service animal? I have diabetes asthma chronic pain and other issues.
What if your dog is too old to become a service dog. ? Do it can y’all provide one?
Depends on what you need the dog to do, mobility,hearing,diabetes,etc You can contact an organisation, or self train a new dog.
How do I get a dog for my son he has Type 1 Diabetes.
I am I’m the middle of applying for my service dog who had already who had already been deemed a companion
Pet . I suffer from seizures and have PztSD severe anxiety bipolar 2 I see a Psychiatrist once a month I am trying to take my dog to work and they will not allow him to come because he doesn’t have a service coat on but he is actually the paramedics have said that have saved have saved my life twice so I I don’t know how to go about getting the service coat but I do have a letter saying that he is my companion pet and I am I just like to know how to proceed from here
I don’t see why you can’t have someone make you a vest for your dog. It’s what I would try. If you go to church, there are probably people that sew that also go there. They make masks all the time for people now and I just bet they would be willing to make a vest if you asked. Check first to see if the vest has to be a certain type or if it would be recognized as a legitimate “sign”. Best of luck!
I was diagnosed years ago with depression and anxiety but in 2017 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. While talking to the specialty pharmacy company I discovered that the neurologist listed me as Stage 2 Progressive. Where do you get a service dog and what is the cost because with the medical costs it pretty much a luxury.
You can train your own service dog.
I have M. S. AND a spinal cord injury! I want/need to get a service dog. Do you know how I go about getting one, and the cost involved?