Service Animals in Training

Under Washington law, service animals in training (SAiTs) are legally permitted in spaces of public accommodation, i.e., areas open to students and visitors, and SAiT handlers are not required to provide any documentation for their animals to accompany them in these spaces. However, neither state nor federal law provide protections for SAiTs in employment settings.

If an SAiT handler is a WSU employee seeking to bring an SAiT into their workplace, they must first apply and be approved for an SAiT Waiver of WAC 504-36-020. The process requires an employee to complete the application below, submit their supervisor’s written approval, and attend an interview accompanied by their animal. The employee must submit their supervisor’s written approval via email to shannon.spalding@wsu.edu and ada.coordinator@wsu.edu prior to WSU scheduling a Waiver interview.

The following is a list of the basic requirements to apply for an SAiT Waiver. However, satisfying all of these requirements does not guarantee that a Waiver will be issued. SAiT Waivers are granted at the sole discretion of the university and are only available for the WSU Pullman campus at present.

The SAiT handler must have a demonstrated history of training such animals;
The SAiT must be a dog;
The SAiT must be a minimum of six months old;
The SAiT must be housebroken;
The SAiT must not represent a direct threat to others or property (knowledge of the dog’s past threatening or violent behavior must be disclosed);
The SAiT must be under the immediate control of their handler at all times;
The SAiT handler is responsible for disposing of any fecal matter deposited by the animal on university premises before the handler leaves the area where the matter was deposited; and
The SAiT handler must provide written approval from their supervisor to bring the animal into their workplace.

To start the application process, please complete the SAiT Application Waiver Request.

Contact

Shannon Spalding, Public Safety

shannon.spalding@wsu.edu