{"id":37,"date":"2018-04-24T17:16:57","date_gmt":"2018-04-24T17:16:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usserviceanimals.org\/new-blog\/service-dog-for-anxiety"},"modified":"2026-04-30T13:22:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T18:22:46","slug":"service-dog-for-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usserviceanimals.org\/blog\/service-dog-for-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Service Dog for Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the world, affecting over 40 million adults in the United States ages 18 and older. There are many medications, remedies, and treatments available for this condition, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. The correct treatment method will depend on the exact circumstances and severity of the condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although this widespread epidemic is highly treatable, only around 35% of Americans who are affected actually receive treatment. This is partly due to the fact that many feel there is a stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental or emotional disorders.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, anxiety can be very serious, and it should never be ignored. If you believe that you or a loved one is suffering from anxiety, you should consult a licensed physician or mental healthcare provider immediately to get a diagnosis and, if necessary, determine a treatment plan that meets your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, service dogs are utilized to treat anxiety and the symptoms that come with this mental health condition. Our article gives you more information about service dogs for anxiety and how these wonderful canine companions can help individuals cope with their anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are Service Dogs for Anxiety?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Service dogs are dogs that have been specifically trained to help with physical, mental, or psychiatric disabilities and provide their owners with the assistance needed to go about their daily lives. A service dog for anxiety specifically performs at least one task to help their handler cope with their anxiety symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act<\/a> (ADA), service animals are defined as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cService animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person\u2019s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What Laws Protect Service Dogs for Anxiety?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Thanks to the ADA, service dogs are granted certain protections by law. Many of these protections relate to where you can and cannot go with a service dog, as well as which questions certain people can and cannot ask about your condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

A service dog must be allowed to accompany their handler in any place where the public is typically allowed to go. Typically, the only exceptions are places like operating rooms (though they can be in most areas of a hospital), where things need to be kept extremely sterile. However, they are still allowed in places that serve food, regardless of local health codes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, the ADA provides the following information related to questions that landlords, hospital staff, and others can ask of you, as well as certain exceptions to the aforementioned rules:<\/span><\/p>\n