Press Release - Sept. 1 Seattle pet owners must have pets licensed

Seattle – Effective Sept. 1 Seattle pet owners whose pets are not currently licensed can be fined $125 for each unlicensed pet. The current penalty is $54. The costs for pet licenses are:

For a dog: $40 for one year ($20 if spayed or neutered); or $62 for two years
($30 if spayed or neutered).

For a cat: $25 for one year ($15 if spayed or neutered); or $40 for two years
($22 if spayed or neutered).

“Clearly, now more than ever it makes economic sense to license your pets instead of risking citation. But the bigger issue is providing your pets with the protections a license offers,” says Don Jordan, Seattle Animal Shelter director. “It’s like a life insurance policy – if your pet is lost and doesn’t have a license tag or microchip, odds are you’ll never see your pet again. Only 17 percent of the nation’s 3.8 million stray dogs and 2 percent of the 2.3 million stray cats ever make it home. But, with the dual protection of a pet license and a permanent microchip, you have a much better chance of being reunited with your pet if it is ever lost or stolen.”

Pet owners have many options for purchasing or renewing their pets’ licenses:

Online at http://seattleanimalshelter.org,

At the Seattle Animal Shelter, 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.,

At most city of Seattle Neighborhood Service Centers, or

At select Seattle veterinary clinics.

If a pet wearing its license shows up at the shelter, the owner is notified. If humane law enforcement officers find a licensed pet in the field, they will attempt to return it to its owner instead of taking it to the shelter. Experience shows that an injured animal wearing a license is more likely to receive veterinary care if the owner is not around.

Without exception and as part of the agency’s “zero tolerance policy” regarding unlicensed pets, humane law enforcement officers will continue patrolling city parks and neighborhoods and will issue citations to pet owners for each pet without a current license. Officers will also follow up with known delinquent pet owners who have expired licenses. In addition, officers will conduct emphasis patrols in specific off-leash areas to ensure compliance with pet licensing laws.

The Seattle Animal Shelter is located at 2061 15^th Ave. W., approximately one mile south of the Ballard Bridge. Pet licensing hours at the shelter are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. Call (206) 386-PETS (7387) or visit www.seattleanimalshelter.org to learn more about pet licensing, purchasing a pet license online, or finding other locations to purchase licenses .