Post Falls Council Approves Workplace Pet Policy With One Dissenting Vote

Chief the dog has long been a fixture at the Post Falls Police Department, but city employees elsewhere who want to bring a pet to work now have a formal path to do so. The Post Falls City Council voted March 17 to approve a clarification to its animals-in-the-workplace exemption policy for city personnel, with Councilor Samantha Steigleder casting the only dissenting vote.

Steigleder said the update "seemed superfluous to her," but her six colleagues, including Aaron Plew, Joe Malloy, Randy Westlund, Nathan Ziegler, Jack Mosby, and Marc Lucca, voted to approve it.

The policy as it stands acknowledges that "animals can bring joy and comfort" while also stating that "employees are generally prohibited from bringing animals into the workplace" because of potential disruption and health and safety concerns. The clarification creates a structured exemption process rather than a blanket permission.

Under the new procedure, any city employee seeking to bring an animal to work must submit a description of the justification and scope of the request, along with a timeline tailored to their individual circumstances. The request then requires sign-off from three separate city officials: the department head, the HR director, and the director of legal services.

Liability stays with the employee. Anyone who brings an animal to a city facility under the exemption must sign a waiver of liability and indemnity agreement confirming they are responsible for any actions by the animal, including if the animal bites someone.

The change originated from a staff request and followed public discussion before reaching the council. The city has not yet specified which animals qualify under the exemption, whether the policy extends beyond city employees to volunteers or contractors, or when exactly the clarified policy takes effect.