Pet Business Regulation in Seattle: Where Animal Welfare and Consumer Protection Intersect

seattleanimalwatch
Nov 9
6 min read

Pet businesses receive attention whenever there is a crisis. Literally “when it bleeds, it leads.” We saw this last month with the horrific killing of a black labrador by an employee at the Lazy Dog Crazy Dog boarding facility in Seattle. This killing resulted in a felony charge with trial set for this December. Before that, fires at two Dog Resort locations in 2023 led to the deaths of at least one animal.

Whenever such horrible incidents occur, there is a plethora of activity and outrage, but what happens when the attention and emotions die down? More often than not, very little.

Seattle does not have a regulatory body responsible for overseeing all companion animal-related issues in Seattle, including commercial businesses. The Seattle Animal Shelter’s legal responsibilities center only on field enforcement and shelter operations (both of which are under-resourced). Instead, citizens and their animals must rely on King County and the State of Washington Public Health Departments for safety standards and accountability.

So how are King County and the State of Washington doing?

In June 2025, we reviewed business permits for pet businesses. We found that while most businesses are properly permitted, a noticeable slice falls into “expired” or “in renewal” status, raising questions about King County’s follow-up and enforcement processes. Pet grooming services, daycares, and standard pet shops make up the largest sectors, meaning oversight in these categories is especially critical. Of the expired permits, pet grooming and daycare businesses lead the list. These are environments where regular inspections matter—not just for safety, but for the humane treatment of animals.

Let’s briefly explore the following questions.

Who regulates pet businesses in Seattle?
Which law code regulates pet businesses?
How does a citizen submit a complaint about a pet business?
Is the public aware of the complaint process?
How can the public stay informed?
Is this a common problem across the United States?
Why do states resist regulation?
What Is missing from this discussion?
What is our takeaway?

Who regulates pet businesses in Seattle?

King County Public Health’s (KCPH) Environmental Health has a pet business program that enforces pet business regulations in Seattle. According to KCPH’s website:

We {at Environmental Health} regulate pet businesses such as pet shops, pet daycares, pet grooming facilities, mobile pet grooming facilities, animal shelters, poultry retailers and pet food retailers. Our mission is to protect and enhance the health and well-being of humans and animals through inspections, permits, and educational resources that support our pet businesses in preventing zoonotic diseases.

Which law code regulates pet businesses?

King County Environmental Health functions under the King County Board of Health Title 8: Zoonotic Disease Prevention. This code has been in effect since 2010, or 15 years ago. It is due for review and update in 2026.

How does a citizen submit a complaint about a pet business?

One submits a complaint by emailing King County’s Pet Business Program at petbusinesses@kingcounty.gov.

Is the public aware of the complaint process?

It is unclear. It took effort for us to find information on how to submit a complaint about a pet business. From the Environmental Health site, it appears one can only check complaints that involve illegal dumping or the presence of rodents. There is also a site to monitor pet business license suspensions or unpermitted activity, although there has been only one listing since 2024.

When we searched for instructions on how to lodge a complaint about a pet business, we found information not only for the King County Pet Business Program but also for SAS. It appears that SAS is the contact for when animal cruelty is observed. It may be involved in subsequent investigations, but SAS is not involved in actual cruelty prevention on commercial sites. This is a gap. SAS has an expertise in animal care that health inspectors do not have.

How can the public stay informed?

This is also unclear. Pet businesses can get monthly updates or sign up for an office visit. Anyone can also sign up for the Pet Business Program newsletter (SAW did!) which is a periodic publication for pet business owners to stay up to date on regulations, training and educational materials. We could not find a mailing list for the general public or for consumers of these services.

Is this a common problem across the United States?

Yes. The lack of clear pet safety regulations and enforcement is not unique to Washington State. It is common across the US. According to a December 2024 Stateline article, most states rely on local government rules or have no regulations at all.

In 2024, the State of Massachusetts passed a stringent law to tighten regulations on the care and housing of pets at boarding and training kennels. This law resulted from the 2020 death of a 9-month old labradoodle named Ollie who was mauled after being housed with far larger dogs without human supervision at a pet care facility. Ollie’s Law limits the number of dogs that can be cared for in a single facility and requires recordkeeping, inspections and reporting of pet injuries and deaths. The National Humane Education Society said the Massachusetts law set “a new standard” in kennel regulation and safety for pets.

Ollie’s owner stated that the most important part of the new law is that pet injuries are now required to be reported to the local licensing authority and that investigation results be made publicly available if enforcement action is taken.

King County does not appear to have this requirement; as a result, many pet owners were unaware of any issues at Lazy Dog Crazy Dog and continued boarding their animals there even after the felony-level killing. The business finally closed indefinitely in October after a public outcry and media attention. As of November 7, 2025, the King County e-compliance site still shows a valid and active permit for the Ballard location.

Seattle & King County Public Health permit for Lazy Dog Crazy Dog 24/7, a pet daycare. Status: Active. Expires: 02/28/2026.

Why Do States Resist Regulation?

While some pet care businesses recognize that there are bad players out there, they argue that extra staff, training, and precautions will cost them money. Lawmakers seem to find this argument persuasive, including our own legislators in Washington state.

In 2024, a bill was introduced in the state legislature to require a fire alarm system or sprinkler system in kennels. This bill was in response to two 2023 fires at the Dog Resort in Seattle that killed at least two dogs.

Fire safety experts and animal activists supported the bill. However, legislators were swayed by the arguments that the issue was not widespread and it would be an undue financial burden on small businesses. The bill died in committee with the belief that cities and counties have plenty of regulations for the industry.

What Is Missing From This Discussion?

There are three glaring omissions in discussions of pet business regulation:

Animal handling. There are regulations for handling animals which includes adequate staffing and supervision. For example, at a minimum there must be 1 handler for every 1-15 dogs, 2 for 16-30, etc (groomers, bathers, and staff monitoring videos do not count). However, this does not necessarily include the proper care or handling of the animals. Dogs in particular have different behaviors depending on breed and temperament.
The rights of the consumer. Pet businesses are not just an issue of animal welfare but of consumer protection as well. Pet owners are paying for services and they deserve to know about inspection results, violations, areas for improvement, etc. King County rates restaurants; why not pet businesses?
The wide range of pet businesses. This post has focused on pet boarding for dogs, but pet boarding can include cats and other animals as well. Moreover, pet businesses include a wide range of services such as pet grooming, pet sitting, and pet walking. These are jobs that do not necessarily require licenses or any training. Where is the consumer protection here?

What is our takeaway?

SAW believes that animal welfare is an invisible issue in the City of Seattle and the regulation of pet businesses is simply another example. We believe animal welfare in all its permutations must become far more visible to our local governments whether through a Council subcommittee or a citizen advisory committee. The interconnections are clear to those who are paying attention.

Sources: