King County Plans for Updating Pet Business Regulations in 2026: A Summary of the January 21, 2026 Webinar
- seattleanimalwatch
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
On January 21, 2026, King County presented a webinar to discuss the process for updating pet business regulations. The 2026 update will be the first substantial revision since 2010 when the regulations were first established. In light of the public outcry regarding the 2023 fires at the Dog Resort and the 2025 first-degree animal cruelty charges against a Lazy Dog Crazy Dog employee, these updates are long overdue.
Having said that, there are still issues with pet business regulations going forward.
Overseeing animal welfare in Seattle is a decentralized process with different governments overseeing different aspects of it. It is not cohesive and there are likely to be communication gaps. It will be critical for public engagement and attention to ensure that animal health and consumer concerns are not overshadowed by industry interests. Code changes will mean nothing without effective enforcement and meaningful penalties for noncompliance.
The rest of this post is a summary of the webinar. Of note: King County staff conveyed the following information during the January 2026 webinar’s Q&A. As of today, this information does not appear readily available on the pet business website.
Dog walking is not regulated by King County unless the dog walker takes the animals to the dog walker’s home.
King County did consider a visible rating system for pet businesses similar to the current rating system for restaurants that require posting (e.g. “excellent,” “good,” “okay,” and “needs improvement;” however, the logistics have been deemed too cumbersome at this time. This may be revisited in the future.
A Decentralized System of Pet Business Regulation
No single agency oversees the full scope of pet business operations in King County. The following is a list of the agencies and departments that oversee animal welfare in King County and, therefore, Seattle.
King County Public Health: This entity oversees public health, sanitation, disease prevention, and pet business facility conditions. This authority applies to pet boarding, daycares, shelters, groomers, pet shops, etc.
Local Animal Control: Animal control agencies address animal cruelty, dangerous animals, and pet licensing. The Seattle Animal Shelter is the responsible agency in Seattle. The level of authority can vary by city and it is not consistently applied county wide. In some cases, animal control services also handle hobby kennel permits.
Washington State Department of Agriculture. WSDA oversees animal import/export businesses, and pet food labeling. It does NOT regulate pet boarding and its pet food retail oversight is limited.
United States Department of Agriculture. USDA oversees imports and interstate pet sales (e.g. breeders shipping across state lines), animal exhibitors (bird and rabbit) and the Animal Welfare Act which is federal law.
An Outdated Code for Pet Business Regulations
The King County Code was established in 2010. There have been no substantial reviews or revisions since then. The goals of the 2026 update are to make the regulations easier to follow, increase safety for employees and animals, and include new business types such as cat cafes. As noted above, dog walking does not fall under pet business regulations unless the dogs are present at the dog walker’s home.
There will also be a fee update that addresses the increased number and complexity of King County pet businesses, as well as better meeting the needs of industry and business partners. The update will:
Meet complex business and industry needs
Reduce response times for new and existing businesses
Increase education and outreach resources
Stay up to date with industry growth and emerging issues
Address unpermitted facilities
Code Update Focuses on Health and Safety
Unsurprisingly, the King County Board of Health code for pet businesses focuses on protecting people’s health, animal’s health, and the environment through disease prevention, sanitation, and improving facility conditions.
The code includes standards for:
Housing and supervision of pets
Infection control
Cleaning and sanitation
Training for pet business staff
Key topics for the code updates are the following:
Adequate staffing and supervision. Businesses need enough staff to adequately supervise pets. Considerations include but are not limited to proper supervision during the nighttime (if overnight services are provided) and when animals are playing together.
Safe and healthy outdoor spaces. Outdoor spaces must have safe fencing, and the ground surface must be cleaned and sanitary. Natural lawns/grass and bark can be used when certain conditions are met, and other surfaces must be cleaned and disinfected at least daily.
Prevention of disease spread between pets. Pet businesses need to have processes in place to keep diseases from spreading between pets. This includes having a plan in place to keep pets isolated, if needed.
Timeline for Code Update
Winter 2025/2026 - Webinars and outreach on pet code revision process
Spring/Summer 2026 – Request comments from pet permit holders, pet owners, and employees on draft code and fee changes
September 2026 – Code and fee changes proposed to the Board of Health
Fall and Winter 2026 – Additional webinars and outreach to businesses on approved code changes
2027 – Board of Health approved code and fee changes will be implemented
Get Involved in the Code Revision Process
Seattle’s animals need you to prevent more tragedies like those at The Dog Resort and Lazy Dog Crazy Dog. To repeat, code changes will mean nothing without adequate enforcement and meaningful penalties for noncompliance. The process is open to pet business owners, employees, and pet owners. Concerned citizens can participate as well (we had to ask!)
Give your opinion on code changes
Ask questions about existing problems in the pet code
Keep up to date on the revision process
Join webinars of discussions on the businesses in King County
You can answer a survey about the update here: https://kingcounty.jotform.com/team/pet-business-team-forms/PetBusinessCodeUpdateSurvey. You can contact the county staff at petbusinesses@kingCounty.gov
Sources:
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dph/health-safety/environmental-health/pet-business/code-updates
January 21, 2026 King County Pet Business Webinar.
