Medical Assistance Service Dogs

A medical assistance service dog can:

• Alert someone that help is needed

• Push a medical alert button when an emergency occurs

• Provide balance support to help someone recover from an incident or episode 

• Retrieve a phone or medicine

• Alert to dissociation or other similar experiences 

• Alert to and locate the source of noises for hearing assistance 

• Provide Deep Pressure Therapy or alert to oncoming anxiety or panic attacks 

• Provide emotional support and comfort during their handler’s recovery period

These dogs can provide a variety of tasks to help aid in someone’s mobility, balance, and stability. A mobility assistance dog can:

• Provide balance support via a balance/stability harness

• Provide a brace in the event of a fall

• Physically pull in harness to help someone up steep inclines, or to get out of a seated position

• Retrieve dropped items, open doors, turn on/off lights

• Provide emotional support and comfort for their handler

• Help their handler achieve greater independence