A new system for animal control took effect Thursday, July 1 for 27 cities – including Bellevue – and King County.
“Regional cooperation has been the key to redesigning King County’s animal care and control system,” said County Executive Dow Constantine. “Each of the 27 partners in this effort has contributed to shaping the final product, and we look forward to working toward better care at lower cost over the two-and-a-half years of the city contracts.”
Under the new arrangement, King County will be divided into four animal control districts, each staffed by at least one animal control officer.
The county’s Kent Shelter will remain open, having absorbed animals and staff from the closure of a smaller facility at Crossroads in June. The county projects that the Kent Animal Shelter, staff and volunteers will serve about 8,000 homeless and lost animals in 2010.
Under the new model, the cost for pet licenses for spayed animals will remain unchanged at $30, and will be reduced to $60 for an unaltered pet (previously $90). The new model changes King County Code to institute a no-tolerance fine for unlicensed pets in the county, with fines ranging from $125 for a spayed or neutered pet to $250 for an unaltered pet.
As part of the transition to the new model, residents will have a 90 day amnesty period from July 1 to October 1 to purchase a license for unlicensed pets without facing a fine. Residents can purchase pet licenses in person at over 100 locations in King County, including many QFC grocery stores, as well as online. A list
list of sales locations to purchase or renew a license is available online.
Under the new Regional Animal Services model, there are a number of discounts for disabled and senior residents, as well as for those with juvenile pets up to 6 months old. All dogs and cats over 8 weeks of age in unincorporated King County and contracting cities must be licensed.
County officials say licenses provide many advantages including:
* The first time a pet is found, King County will attempt to skip the shelter and deliver the pet to the owner’s home.
* Licensed pets have a longer stray hold at the shelter to give residents a chance to locate a lost pet before it is made available for adoption.
* The Vacation Pet Alert Program allows residents to provide contact information for a pet’s caretaker while they are away so that King County will have the correct contact information if something happens while the owner cannot be reached.
* Pet license fees fund programs help thousands of homeless animals in King County find new homes each year, and pay for services such as spay/neuter programs.
* Licensed missing pets are found faster by reporting them to Regional Animal Services. If a resident finds a stray pet wearing a pet license, they simply need to call the phone number on the license to get contact information for the owner, even after business hours.
