King County pet amnesty, no fines or penalties in April
Mar 29, 2013, 11:11 AM | Updated: 2:11 pm
April is pet license amnesty month in Seattle and King County, your chance to avoid a big fine and update your pet's license. (AP Photo)
(AP Photo)
April is pet license amnesty month in Seattle and King County, your chance to avoid a big fine and update your pet’s license.
The last amnesty in King County was in 2005. It allows pet owners in Seattle and King County to buy a license or renew an outdated license.
Seattle Animal Shelter director Don Jordan said the fine for an un-licensed pet is $125 per animal.
“Whether you have a dog or cat, you can come forward and renew your delinquent license without fear of penalty or citation,” said Jordan. That goes for new pet licenses, too.
Jordan said it’s important to keep license information updated.
“Because often-times, when animals come into the shelter, and they’re wearing a pet license, the folks have not updated their information so it creates a real challenge for us to re-unite that animal with its owner,” said Jordan.
Licensing fees pay for animal shelters as well as abuse and nuisance investigations.
Seattle has an estimated 125,000 dogs and 250,000 domestic household cats but Jordan says license compliance is only 25-to-30 percent.
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It’s Raining Cats and Dogs can be heard on KIRO Radio Sundays at 1:00 p.m.
