Pet owners will get more options for caring for their dogs and cats under the provisions of a zoning code amendment approved yesterday by the Metropolitan King County Council. Councilmember Kathy Lambert introduced the ordinance, one piece of the Rural Economic Strategies package, in response to requests from her constituents in Northeast King County.

“I was surprised to learn that King County currently does not allow rural residents and businesses to provide many animal services – such as boarding, day care, grooming and training – without a kennel license,” said Lambert. “But many pet owners want more personal care for their pets than a traditional kennel can provide.”

The ordinance adds animal specialty services to the land use code for King County’s unincorporated area, as much to serve consumer needs as to support rural business uses. Councilmember Lambert pointed out that pet services are evolving in response to changing demographics and consumer expectations.

• More working couples and singles have pets that they don’t want to leave home alone during the day.
• More people want more personal home-like care for their pets than locking them up in kennels while they are out of town.
• In addition to boarding, pet owners desire more services such as training and grooming.
• Many pet care professionals have discontinued overnight services in the client’s home, which is driving up the demand for pet care services.

“Pet owners have told me about the benefits of allowing dogs to socialize and play in a home-like setting that is less stressful and results in less barking and noise than a traditional kennel,” Lambert said. “This addition to King County’s land-use laws is most appropriate because rural areas are better suited for most animal services than densely populated urban areas.”

The ordinance allows animal specialty services in unincorporated areas with a conditional use permit, but also establishes a one-year pilot program for boarding facilities as an outright use only if:

• The property is at least five acres,
• Setbacks are 75 feet from the property line for buildings housing dogs, and 30 feet from the property line for fenced exercise areas,
• Limited to 25 dogs,
• Any training and grooming services are ancillary,
• And hours of operation are limited to 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

The ordinance also establishes an outright use permit for animal shelters operated by tax-exempt non-profit organizations.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system. Type in 2007-0169.