Service and assistance systems use animals to perform supportive functions for humans across healthcare, accessibility, and personal support contexts. Animals are trained to carry out specific tasks such as guidance, mobility support, medical alert, and therapeutic interaction, operating as functional extensions within structured care and assistance frameworks.

While roles vary by use case and region, the underlying structure remains consistent: animals are selectively bred or chosen for temperament and trainability, then conditioned through intensive training to perform reliable, repeatable behaviours. Their deployment is organised around human need and functional performance, with animals integrated into daily living environments as working units within assistance systems.

See it by species

This index includes species that are trained and deployed to perform assistance, therapeutic, or support roles within organised service systems, regardless of geography or institutional context.