Published: Monday, August 16, 2010
Snohomish County owners would be billed for care of impounded pets
Snohomish County wants to shift the burden of costs of animals that come under its custody to owners.
EVERETT -- All pet owners whose animals wind up in the custody of Snohomish County would have to pay for shelter, veterinary bills and other enforcement costs under a new proposal.
The way the county code is written now, an owner or custodian gets off the hook for reimbursing the county if they don't take the animal back.
Put another way, they only have to repay the county if they claim their pet.
"One of the most important things from the county's perspective is the cost of recovery for fines and penalties if an animal is forfeited or not redeemed by its owner," said Vicki Lubrin, the county's animal control manager. "This (amended law) allows us to hold the owners of animals responsible for any costs incurred by the county."
The County Council has scheduled the public hearing on the proposed changes for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 8. The public will be able to comment. Afterward, the council can vote.
Two ordinance amendments are under discussion.
One makes all owners responsible for the county's costs, but includes other changes, too. It would clarify what qualifies as nuisance behavior for an animal, would make it clear that dogs are allowed to run free in designated off-leash parks and would prohibit tethering dogs in a way that allows them to become entangled or otherwise at risk.
The second proposed amendment provides an appeals process for violations involving dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs.
Some common animal-control costs for the county are enforcement, impound fees, veterinary bills, catching the animal and transporting it.
Total expenses can range from $150 for a relatively simple case to thousands of dollars if an animal is impounded for a long time, as might happen in a dog-bite case, Lubrin said.
The county budgets about $440,000 per year for shelter services, but doesn't always spend the whole amount, she said.
The daily cost for sheltering dogs or cats is $15 a day. For horses, it's $18 per day. Veterinary charges vary by case.
Last year, the county's animal control officers impounded 613 dogs and cats at the Everett Animal Shelter and 22 at the PAWS shelter in Lynnwood. Citizens living in unincorporated areas, where the county is in charge of enforcement, also brought in 995 animals to PAWS and 1,985 to the Everett shelter.
There were about a half dozen dangerous dogs not redeemed by owners last year, Lubrin said. The estimated cost to taxpayers, assuming an average 30-day stay, was $2,700.
Unclaimed livestock, including horses, cattle, donkeys, llama and sheep, usually number three to five each year, she said. They cost taxpayers about $225 each.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Public hearing
The County Council has planned a public hearing next month to amend its laws on paying for animal-enforcement costs and the process for appealing in dangerous-dog cases. The hearing is set for at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 8 on the eighth floor of the county's Robert J. Drewel Building on 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett.
The way the county code is written now, an owner or custodian gets off the hook for reimbursing the county if they don't take the animal back.
Put another way, they only have to repay the county if they claim their pet.
"One of the most important things from the county's perspective is the cost of recovery for fines and penalties if an animal is forfeited or not redeemed by its owner," said Vicki Lubrin, the county's animal control manager. "This (amended law) allows us to hold the owners of animals responsible for any costs incurred by the county."
The County Council has scheduled the public hearing on the proposed changes for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 8. The public will be able to comment. Afterward, the council can vote.
Two ordinance amendments are under discussion.
One makes all owners responsible for the county's costs, but includes other changes, too. It would clarify what qualifies as nuisance behavior for an animal, would make it clear that dogs are allowed to run free in designated off-leash parks and would prohibit tethering dogs in a way that allows them to become entangled or otherwise at risk.
The second proposed amendment provides an appeals process for violations involving dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs.
Some common animal-control costs for the county are enforcement, impound fees, veterinary bills, catching the animal and transporting it.
Total expenses can range from $150 for a relatively simple case to thousands of dollars if an animal is impounded for a long time, as might happen in a dog-bite case, Lubrin said.
The county budgets about $440,000 per year for shelter services, but doesn't always spend the whole amount, she said.
The daily cost for sheltering dogs or cats is $15 a day. For horses, it's $18 per day. Veterinary charges vary by case.
Last year, the county's animal control officers impounded 613 dogs and cats at the Everett Animal Shelter and 22 at the PAWS shelter in Lynnwood. Citizens living in unincorporated areas, where the county is in charge of enforcement, also brought in 995 animals to PAWS and 1,985 to the Everett shelter.
There were about a half dozen dangerous dogs not redeemed by owners last year, Lubrin said. The estimated cost to taxpayers, assuming an average 30-day stay, was $2,700.
Unclaimed livestock, including horses, cattle, donkeys, llama and sheep, usually number three to five each year, she said. They cost taxpayers about $225 each.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Public hearing
The County Council has planned a public hearing next month to amend its laws on paying for animal-enforcement costs and the process for appealing in dangerous-dog cases. The hearing is set for at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 8 on the eighth floor of the county's Robert J. Drewel Building on 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett.
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