Position Statements

Service Animals

January 15, 2026

The definition of “service animal” varies regionally within Canada as well as internationally. For this position statement, CVMA defers to definitions that appear under federal law in Canada. Readers should refer to authorities in the relevant jurisdiction for applicable laws and regulations.

Background

1. Service animals provide essential support to individuals with disabilities by performing tasks including, but not limited to, guiding those with visual impairments, alerting individuals with hearing impairments, aiding mobility, detecting and responding to medical events like seizures, and providing reminders for medication adherence. They also offer emotional support, help alleviate anxiety and assist individuals with various conditions, including psychiatric disorders, post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, autism, and other neurodiverse traits, thereby enhancing autonomy, safety, and overall well-being while promoting accessibility and inclusion. In general, individuals obtaining a service animal do so as part of a specialized treatment plan developed in their healthcare professional. (1-4).
2. Federal, and provincial/territorial laws within Canada that pertain to rights of persons with disabilities vary between and within jurisdictions resulting in fragmented and inconsistent definitions, policies, and regulations across the country with respect to service animals.
3. Under federal law in Canada, a “service animal” is defined as “an animal that is required by a person with a disability for assistance and is certified, in writing, as having been trained by a professional service animal institution to assist a person with a disability” (5). Depending on the jurisdiction, government-recognized documentation including identification may be required to validate the training status of a service animal.
4. Animals identified as “assistance animals” include “therapy animals”, “emotional support animals”, and “working animals” (e.g. military, police or search and rescue). Although a service animal is considered a type of assistance animal, service animals have rights granted them that other types of assistance animals may not. For example, in some jurisdictions, service animals have the right to access facilities or services such as workplaces, stores, restaurants, and airlines (6) whereas other types of assistance animals may not. It should be noted that most facilities and services retain the right to allow access to their facilities even if animals do not meet the definitions or qualifications of a service animal in their jurisdiction.
5. Service animals are most frequently dogs that are trained for one or more functions (7) however in some jurisdictions other species of animals may be considered as service animals (8).
6. A “service dog” is defined under the federal Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (9) as “a dog that has been individually trained by an organization or person specializing in service dog training to perform a task to assist a person with a disability with a need related to their disability.”
7. In Canada, transportation service providers must accommodate persons who travel with service dogs under the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) (9,10).
8. In some parts of Canada owner-trained service dogs are recognized (and thereby entitled to access accorded to service dogs under relevant legislation) provided they meet qualifications specified by the provinces or territory. (11,12,13).
9. An effort to develop a national standard for animal-assisted services has made some progress however it remains incomplete (14).
10. Internationally there are a variety of requirements, regulatory and otherwise, pertaining to service animals (15-17) which leads to global inconsistencies across policies and regulations.
11. International organizations may define service dogs differently than does Canadian law. For example, Assistance Dogs International (ADI) that accredits training programs considers “assistance dogs” to include “guide dogs”, “hearing dogs” and “service dogs”, the latter being defined as “A dog that works for individuals with disabilities other than blindness or deafness. Service dogs are trained to perform a wide variety of tasks including but not limited to; pulling a wheelchair, bracing, retrieving, alerting to a medical crisis, and providing assistance in a medical crisis.” ADI considers service dog types to include: “Mobility Service Dog, Seizure Service Dog, Autism Service Dog, Diabetic Alert Service Dog, Psychiatric Service Dog, Service Dogs for Veterans with Military-related PTSD and Medical Alert Service Dog. “(19).
12. Due in part to variation and fragmentation across provincial/territorial, national and international jurisdictions regarding the definition and certification requirements of a service animal, many challenges have arisen, including:
    • Animals presented as service animals, including at veterinary clinics, may not meet the qualifications and definitions as outlined above, although they may well be performing important roles in the lives of their handlers.
    • industries such as travel, and hospitality may be unable to distinguish between recognized service animals and those not meeting the required definition in the relevant jurisdiction.
    • accommodating various species of animals that are presented as service animals such as miniature horses, birds and other species.
    • animals presented as service animals that are untrained, or unsuitable by nature for their intended purpose due to their physical attributes or behaviour(s).
    • animal health concerns (e.g. uncertain vaccination history, zoonotic disease potential).
    • animal welfare concerns (e.g. stress and anxiety for unconditioned animals presented as service animals in busy settings such as airports, aggressive behaviour presenting risks to other animals and humans).
    • public health and safety concerns (e.g. animals contacting people with allergies or immunocompromised individuals, potential bite incidents, people suffering from fear of animals).
    • fraud (e.g. organizations issuing improper or meaningless accreditation or certification documents, identification vests or tags) (18).
    • misrepresenting an animal as a trained service animal when it does not meet applicable Canadian provincial/territorial laws or regulations pertaining to service animals.
13. With respect to air travel, the US Department of Transportation established a final rule on service dogs in late 2020 that adds clarity to the definition of service animal with respect to air travel. The rule defines what is included as well as what is not included under the definition of “service animal” (dogs only), as follows:
    • “Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) a service animal means a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Animal species other than dogs, emotional support animals, comfort animals, companionship animals, and service animals in training are not service animals “(20).
14. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) points out the current “chaos and confusion” for airlines and passengers resulting from inconsistent definitions of assistance and service dogs and urges “state regulators [to] engage in collaborative work to develop a global, consistent definition and standard for certified assistance dogs, so the industry and passengers have clear guidance to reflect the acceptability of assistance animals” (21).
15. Given the above challenges and inconsistencies, the CVMA maintains that a comprehensive national standard for all service animals should be developed that includes, but is not limited to:
    • assessment for fitness on a regular basis by a veterinarian, in collaboration with a professional service animal institution, as part of an ongoing health management program to determine the service animal’s suitability to begin or continue working as a service animal. Veterinarians should focus their assessment for fitness solely on the service animal’s health and welfare status, and behaviour.
    • training of the service animal with the handler to address specific disabilities and/or perform certain functions in accordance with a recognized standard
    • recognition that the animal has reached a specified standard of competence (suitability for intended purpose).
    • training using only humane training methods.
    • participation in a life plan designed to ensure humane treatment, for example from puppy (in the case of dogs) to senior and end of life.
    • provisions to ensure early identification and intervention in instances of improper training or inappropriate animal welfare up to and including reporting to relevant authorities within the jurisdiction.
16. There are notable examples of organizations that have established standards for service animals in Canada and internationally such as the International Guide Dog Federation (22) and Assistance Dogs International (23). Several Canadian organizations are accredited by these international bodies (24,25).
17. The CVMA supports the exclusive use of humane training methods for all service animals (26) and the incorporation of animal health and welfare requirements into organizational standards.
18. Veterinary professionals and the public should apply due diligence in their assessment of organizations that offer certification of service animals and should consider whether the organization is accredited to the standards that comply with international bodies such as those mentioned above. The CVMA strongly encourages organizations involved with the training of service animals to join with those that adhere to recognized standards and accreditation processes.
19. The CVMA recommends that governments in Canada take the lead in working to harmonize federal and provincial legislation across Canada with respect to service animals and to encourage the development of a national standard including animal health and welfare, training and suitability for intended purpose. Collaborators should include the CVMA, provincial and territorial veterinary associations, and international standard setting bodies, among others.
20. Advice to clients on their personal need for a service animal should be left to human health professionals. Veterinary professionals should:
    • Be consulted on the suitability of an animal for its intended purpose solely with respect to matters of animal health and welfare, and behaviour.
    • Collaborate with professional service animal institutions in certifying the suitability of an animal. (27)
21. Veterinary professionals should strive to make their services and facilities accessible for clients with service animals. (28). Staff should be encouraged to use a team-oriented approach during complex cases involving service animals to better understand and address the diverse needs of service animal handlers (29,30).

References

1. Howell TJ, Nieforth L, Thomas-Pino C, Samet L, Agbonika S, Cuevas-Pavincich F, Fry NE, Hill K, Jegatheesan B, Kakinuma M, et al. Defining Terms Used for Animals Working in Support Roles for People with Support Needs. Animals. 2022; 12(15):1975. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12151975 Accessed May 7 2025
2. Hall S, and al. A survey of the impact of owning a service dog on quality of life for individuals with physical and hearing disability: a pilot study. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2017;15:59. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372266/pdf/12955_2017_Article_640.pdf. Last accessed April 4, 2025.
3. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Understanding Service Animals (2019). Available from: https://aoda.ca/understanding-service-animals/. Last accessed April 4 2025.
4. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Service Animal Laws for Ontario Workplaces. (2019). Available from: https://aoda.ca/service-animal-laws-for-ontario-workplaces/. Last accessed April 4, 2025.
5. Justice for Animals in Service Act (Quanto’s Law) (2015). Available from https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/annualstatutes/2015_34/page-1.html. Last accessed April 4, 2025.
6. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Service, emotional support and therapy animals. Available from: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-welfare/service-emotional-support-and-therapy-animals. Last accessed May 7, 2025.
7. Lions Foundation of Canada. Dog Guides. Available from https://www.dogguides.com/programs.html. Last accessed May 7, 2025.
8. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Service Animals. Available from https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/service-animals. Last accessed May 7, 2025.
9. Government of Canada. Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (2019). Available from: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2019-244/page-1.html. Last accessed Last accessed May 7, 2025
10. Canadian Transportation Agency. Service Animals: A Guide. 2020. https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/publication/service-dogs-a-guide Last accessed May 7, 2025.
11. Government of Alberta. Service dogs in Alberta https://www.alberta.ca/service-dog-information Last accessed April 4, 2025.
12. Government of Nova Scotia. Applying for service dog team certification. https://novascotia.ca/servicedogs/certification.asp Last accessed April 4, 2025.
13. Government of British Columbia , Guide Dog and Service Dog Certification https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/human-rights/guide-and-service-dog Last accessed April 4, 2025.
14. Human Research Standards Organization. 2023 Development Of A Management System For Animal-Assisted Human Services (AAHS) https://www.cf4aass.ca/application/files/7216/9543/2723/CAN.HRSO-500.01-2023-A.1-EN.pdf Last accessed May 7, 2025.
15. Government of New South Wales (Australia). Assistance Animals. Available from: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/public/dogs-cats/responsible-pet-ownership/assistance-animals/. Last accessed May 7, 2025.
16. Government of New Zealand. Guidelines for authorization to certify disability assist dogs. Available from: https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Resource-material-Dog-Control-Guidelines-for-authorisation-to-certify-disability-assist-dogs. Last accessed May 7, 2025.
17. Equality and Human Rights Commission (UK). Assistance Dogs. A Guide for All Businesses. Available from: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/assistance-dogs-a-guide-for-all-businesses.pdf . Last accessed May 7, 2025.
18. American Veterinary Medical Association. Assistance Animals: Rights of Access and the Problem of Fraud (2017). Available from https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/resources/Assistance-Animals-Rights-Access-Fraud-AVMA.pdf. Last accessed May 7, 2025.
19. Assistance Dogs International. Terms and Definitions. https://assistancedogsinternational.org/resources/adi-terms-definitions/ Last accessed April 4, 2025.
20. US Department of Transportation. Service Animals. 2024. Last accessed May 7, 2025.
21. International Air Transport Association (IATA), 2024. Air Travel Accessibility for Passengers with Disabilities https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/pressroom/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-accessibility/ Accessed May 7, 2025.
22. International Guide Dogs Federation https://www.igdf.org.uk/ Last accessed April 4, 2025.
23. Assistance Dogs International. https://assistancedogsinternational.org. Last accessed April 4, 2025.
24. Canadian Association of Service Dogs Trainers https://www.casdt.ca/ Last accessed April 4, 2025.
25. Canadian Association of Guide & Assistance Dog Schools. Available from: http://www.cagads.com/. Last accessed October 15, 2025.
26. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Humane Training of Dogs, Position Statement (2021). https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/policy-and-outreach/position-statements/statements/humane-training-of-dogs/ Last accessed April 4, 2025.
27. American Veterinary Medical Association. The veterinarian’s role in supporting appropriate selection and use of service, assistance and therapy animals. Available from: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/veterinarians-role-supporting-appropriate-selection-and-use-service-assistance-and-therapy. Last accessed April 4, 2025.
28. Winkley, E. G., KuKanich, K., Nary, D., & Fakler, J. (2020). Accessibility of veterinary hospitals for clients with mobility-related disabilities. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 256(3), 333-339; https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/256/3/javma.256.3.333.xml Last accessed October 15, 2025
29. Perry, M. D. (2024). Creating an Inclusive Experience for Veterinary Clients. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 54(6), xi-xxii. https://www.vetsmall.theclinics.com/article/S0195-5616(24)00077-9/fulltext Last accessed October 15, 2025
30. Bussolari, C., Currin-McCulloch, J., Packman, W., Kogan, L., & Erdman, P. (2022). The loss of a service dog through death: Experiences of partners. Illness, Crisis & Loss, 32(1), 80-94. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10541373221113336 Last accessed October 15, 2025