Service Animals Must Be Specially Trained

A? landlord? refused? the? application? of? a prospective tenant, Candida Campbell (living with a current tenant) of a mobile home park.?? The tenant filed a Human Rights Commission complaint alleging the landlord denied her application because she had a “service animal,” a dog named Spicey. ?Spicey received only typical pet owner on-the-job training from her, but she claimed that it “alerted” others to help her when she suffered disabling migraine headaches.?? Her neurologist submitted a letter stating that it was reasonable for dog to serve this purpose. ?A HRC ALJ ruled in the tenant?s favor.? ?Division II reversed, holding that under RCW 49.60.040(23), a service animal must be trained for the purpose of?? ?assisting?? or?? accommodating??? a?? disabled person and that “the ALJ’s reasoning that Spicey’s training consisted of getting what she wanted [-] attention from Candida [-] would make any family pet into a service animal.”?? Timberland Mobile Home Park v. Jacobsen, No. 30913 (08/26/04; Armstrong, Bridgewater, Houghton).