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KING COUNTY PLANS UPDATE OF PET BUSINESS REGULATIONS-SCHEDULED FOR POSSIBLE ADOPTION IN WINTER 2026

  • 3 days ago
  • 4 min read

On April 9, 2026, Seattle/King County Public Health held a webinar to update business owners and the public about proposed changes to the Pet Business code and to request feedback. The code update was announced in fall 2026. Prior to this announcement, there were public outcries over three high profile dog boarding incidents in Seattle: two involving fires at The Dog Resort and one involving the killing of a dog at Lazy Dog Crazy Dog. The latter resulted in a felony conviction for the employee.


This is a long overdue update but it is yet unclear whether these updates will be enough to satisfy long-standing concerns. It is astonishing that some of these updates need to be codified; they should simply be common practice.


Of note: None of these proposed code updates address on-site cruelty violations or allegations. In response to a question asked during the webinar (questions were not recorded), animal cruelty incidents should be reported to the local animal control entity (in Seattle, that would be the Seattle Animal Shelter) and to the King County Pet Business Program. While King County will not involve itself, it will note the allegation in the facility’s inspection report.


BACKGROUND


The Pet Business Program falls under the authority of the King County Board of Health. Pet businesses are regulated by the King County Board of Health Code Title 8 - Zoonotic Disease Prevention and Title 2-Officers and Administration. The Pet Business Program covers 500 pet business permits in King County. These businesses include:


  • Grooming

  • Dog Daycare

  • Boarding

  • Kennel

  • Poultry Retailers

  • Cat Cafes (an emerging industry of interest in which live cats provide ambience for cafe customers)

  • Pet Shops

  • Pet Food Retailers

  • Animal Shelters and Rescues

The Pet Business code was established in 2010. There have been no substantial reviews or revisions since then. The purposes of the current update are the following:


  • Make regulations easier to follow

  • Include new business types, such as pet cafes

  • Increase safety for employees and animals


King County reviewed current industry standards to arrive at these proposed changes.



PROPOSED UPDATES


The following is a summary of the proposed changes by category.


Revised Definitions


  • Commercial kennels to be considered “pet boarding facilities”

  • “Pet daycare facility” definition to be applied to any commercial facility where four or more dogs or other pet animals are present for temporary daytime care and returned to their owners on the same day

  • Aquarium pet shops that sell only fish and invertebrates will no longer require a permit (invertebrates include animals sold for terrariums such as tarantulas, scorpions and millipedes)


Animal Health, Care, and Disease Prevention


  • A new requirement added for proper shelter and opportunities for exercise according to the needs of the species, as well as written logs of food, water, care, and medication

  • Elimination of written acknowledgement of rabies vaccination, instead requiring a valid rabies certificate or other verification from a licensed veterinarian

  • Required procedures for ensuring veterinary care within 24 hours for sick or injured animals 


Infection Control and Isolation Plans


  • Additional requirements for the infection control plan, including a training plan that provides notification of risks when working with animals, protocols for documenting and reporting bites

  • A new requirement for an isolation plan with protocols for dealing with sick or injured animals including designating an area to separate and isolate contagious, sick, or injured animals

  • Requiring an isolation area to be adequately ventilated


New Requirements for Commingled Pets


  • Limits commingled groups to 20 cats or 40 dogs

  • Prohibits the cohousing of dogs overnight unless from the same household and with the owner’s consent

  • Requires direct supervision of commingled animals, except for co-housing cats in groups of 6 or fewer

  • One staff member required per 20 cats or dogs (staff must always remain with the groups when animals are commingled

  • Two staff must be on-site whenever more than 10 dogs are present.


Housing Requirements


  • Facilities must have enough dedicated primary closures for all animals housed overnight

  • Each animal must be able to lie fully extended without touching the sides of the enclosure of another animal


Space Requirements for Dog Play Areas


  • Dogs under 50 lbs: Minimum 50 sq ft usable floor space per dog

  • Dogs 50 lbs or more: Minimum 70 sq ft usable floor space per dog

  • Usable floor space: Area available for normal movement and activity

  • Excludes: Space taken by equipment, furniture, food/water bowls, or unusable areas


Cat Colony Rooms


  • Space: Minimum 20 sq. ft of usable floor space per cat. Must have enough fixed primary enclosures for all cats. Maximum of 6 cats.

  • Litter Boxes: 1 per cat + 1 extra, with 2 ft separation between boxes

  • Food & Water: 1 food dish and 1 water dish per cat, plus 1 additional shared water dish


Public Animal Contact Requirements for Animal Shelters


  • Must have a hand-washing station or hand sanitizing with signs

  • The animals must be vaccinated

  • Ill and injured animals must be removed from public access

  • Must have individual enclosures for each animal


Title 2: Types of Proposed Fees


  • Update plan review fees to better reflect the time required to complete and reduce delays

  • Adjust inspection/permit fees to more closely align with the actual time required to perform

  • Tier permit categories for boarding/daycare: pet boarding and daycare will be a combined permit category. There will be tiered permits based on the number of animals to reflect facility size, staffing, and complexity.

  • Update the fees for additional services, such as variance requests, remodels, re-inspections, and field visits, to reflect the actual staff time required

  • Pet food retail permit discounts are discontinued


Timeline for Code Update 


The King County Board of Health is expected to vote on the code in September 2026. If it passes, the code will go into effect in the winter of 2027.

Timeline for code updates, with key steps from Winter 2025 to Winter 2027, including feedback requests and implementation.

Future considerations


King County has identified emerging industries in addition to cat cafes, including:


  • Dog self-washes. These are fully equipped, public facilities where people can bathe and dry their dogs using professional-grade tools and supplies. These stations are often located in pet supply stores like Petco, as well as standalone kiosks, car washes, and some apartment buildings.

  • At-home pet day care. Should day care facilities downsize with the new regulations, in-home care operations may increase. These are currently not regulated or permitted.


How to get involved


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