Spokane council to vote on fake service animal measure

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – The Spokane City Council is set to crack down on people trying to pass off their pets as service animals.

The Spokesman-Review reports an ordinance to be considered Monday could expel such people from public places within the city.

The effort, sponsored by Councilman Mike Fagan, would align Spokane with a law passed in the state Legislature this year.

The state’s rules allow an enforcement officer to ask if a service animal is required due to a disability and what task the animal is trained to do.

If the animal’s handler refuses to answer questions or the animal is observably not a service animal, the enforcement officer can remove them from the premises and fine the handler $500.

Fagan’s proposal uses most of the language in state’s law and would become part of the city’s human rights code.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com