Kent urges cat and dog owners to license their pets

If you haven’t registered Fido or Fluffy, now’s the time.

In collaboration with the city, canvassers with Regional Animal Services of King County will go door-to-door in Kent to help ensure all cats and dogs eight weeks and older are licensed, whether they are indoor or outdoor pets.

The effort will run on weekends only, starting April 1 through the end of October. Canvassers can issue temporary licenses to unlicensed pets, which will allow 30 days for the purchase of a permanent license.

Canvassing, at apartments and condos as well as houses, has been an effective method for educating residents about the benefits and requirements of pet licensing. The canvassers will not issue citations, but they will issue temporary licenses for unlicensed pets, allow pet owners up to 30 days to pay for a license.

King County pet license canvassers are easily recognized by county ID badges, logo shirts, business cards and pet licensing documents. As King County employees, they follow strict guidelines regarding professional conduct and will not peer in windows or over fences looking for pets.

The benefits of pet licensing are numerous and include:

• Re-uniting owners and lost pets, including a free ride home for licensed pets that get lost;

• Saving animals’ lives by funding shelter care for injured and lost animals and pet adoptions;

• Investigating and prosecuting cases of animal cruelty and neglect; and

• Providing resources to address complaints about vicious or nuisance animals.

The license for spayed or neutered animals costs $30, and $60 for unspayed or unneutered pets. The fine for having an unlicensed pet is $125 for a spayed animal and $250 for an unspayed pet. There are discounts for disabled and senior residents and for those with juvenile pets.

Pet licenses are available at Kent City Hall or online at KentPetLicense.com. Any major concerns should be directed to PetLicense@KingCounty.gov, or 206-296-2712.