Understanding Pets Under the Law in Washington State: Your Complete Guide

Legal Overview of Washing State Animal Laws

Nevertheless, the state also protects pet owners by giving them certain immunities. For example, the law generally protects dog owners from liability for damages if their dog bites someone, as long as the pet owner has been informed of the dog’s prior behavior or has otherwise reasonably anticipated it. However, the law does not protect owners of an animal with a known propensity to bite or otherwise harm people.
Importantly, Washington grants animal owners a legal right to defend themselves against gypsy dogs—those who approach in an unprovoked manner. In addition , the law permits force to be used to expel visiting dogs from private property.
Washington further protects animals from abuse with its anti-cruelty statute, enforced by local governments. The statute makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally harm a domestic animal or fail to provide for it. Enforcement typically takes place through the state’s city and county police departments or animal control divisions. The only felonies under the statute are generally limited to acts of gross animal cruelty that result in death or serious injury to the animal. These offenses are investigated by the Washington State Patrol’s Special Investigations Unit.

Permitted Domesticated Animals

In Washington state, domesticated animals that are commonly kept as pets include dogs, cats, rabbits, and several other species. Under Washington state law, domesticated pets must be raised, bred, or kept in a domestic state of well-being, i.e., doing what domestic animals have been selectively bred to do and to develop behavior traits suited to living with people. It is illegal for anyone to keep or maintain any wild animals in captivity, and this includes any animal that is conditioned by its environment to completely or partially live outside of its natural habitat. Domesticated pets may not invade or displace wild animals. Domesticated animals are any substitutes for wild animals that become feral, and they cannot compete with wildlife for habitat or resources such as food, space, and water. Specific domesticated animals that may be maintained by a person or property owner in Washington state are fish, other aquatic animals, birds, and small mammals weighing less than 15 lbs. The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains lists of approved domesticated pets, and these include approved pet birds and non-bird pets that include pets such as cats, dogs, rabbits, turtles, hamsters, and guinea pigs. Most types of small pets will require a pet license depending on the county or city where the animal is being kept, and pet owners will have to pay an annual fee.

Regulations for Exotic Animals

The keeping of exotic pets in Washington State is governed by the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 220-450. The State has divided non-domestic, exotic animal species into a number of categories which delineate the types of animals that may be kept as pets.
These categories include:
These, and all other exotic pets are further subdivided into more specific groups.
Species permitted without a permit:
Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
Green iguana (Iguana iguana)
Blue iguana (Iguana iguana gracilis)
Green tree python (Morelia viridis)
Emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus)
Common boa constrictor (Boa constrictor)
Rosy boa (Boa gracilis)
Common colubrid (Colubridae) including the nonvenomous family of snakes, rat snakes, bull snakes, king snakes and garter snakes.
However, there is a permit required for keeping these species in certain areas, such as King County, Snohomish County, Pierce County, Clark County and Whatcom County. You can find out more about these rules here.

Illegal Animals as Pets

As stated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, "Beginning July 1, 2007, it is illegal to possess prohibited wildlife (Chapter 16-252 WAC) for noncommercial purposes including as a pet, decoy, food, farm animal feed and bait."
Washington law (WAC 16-252-110) states that it is unlawful for any person to possess the following species of wildlife as defined in WAC 220-440-020:

(1) African crested porcupines (Hystrix cristata).
(2) Asian gold-spotted pond turtle (Chinemys reevesii).
(3) Boa constrictor (Boa constrictor).
(4) Reticulated python (Python reticulatus).
(5) Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina).
(6) Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).
(7) Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus).
(8) Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus).
(9) Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica).
(10) Horned vipers of the genera Bitis, Calloselasma, Cerastes, Echis and Porthidium. This includes the Gaboon viper (B. gabonica), the rhinoceros viper (B. rhinocerus), the horned viper (P. solomoni), the Gaboon and rhinoceros vipers, and any other horned vipers.
(11) Invasive fruit fly (Regius fly, Oriental fly, Mediterranean fly, melon fly, and sweet potato fly).
(12) Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus).
(13) Non-native freshwater and estuarine frogs, except green frog (Rana clamitans), bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), leopard frog (Rana pipiens), Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla), coastal tailed frog (Ascaphus truei), and black-spotted pond turtle (Lestes tenebricus).
(14) Red-Eared slider (T. elegans elegans).
(15) Red-eared slider hybrids.
(16) Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).
(17) Non-native marine and estuarine fishes (except tench, marine aquarium species, Atlantic salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, Eastern brook trout, lake trout, West Slope cutthroat trout, eulachon, surf smelt, Pacific sand lance, green sturgeon, Western brook lamprey, white sturgeon, and bull trout).
(18) Green iguana (Iguana iguana).
(19) Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps).
(20) All javelins (except spear or dart javelins of the tribe Microchephalini, family Dicyemidae).

The prohibited species listed above may not be possessed as pets. The only exceptions are animals that were lawfully possessed prior to July 1, 2007.

Permit and License Obligations

Certain species of animals require special permits or licenses legally, in order to own them as a pet in Washington State. For example, raccoons cannot be kept as pets in the State of Washington under any circumstances. Likewise, many species of constricting snakes are illegal to own as pets without a special permit.
Wildlife – There are lots of native species of wildlife that can technically be kept as pets if you go through the right protocols first, but I do not recommend it. For instance, bats are not an uncommon household pet but they require a fair amount of training, and there also exist legal restrictions for their ownership. Among other things, bats and bobcats must be kept in a cage that is covered to prevent any possible escape, which makes for a pretty low-impact environment. In addition, bats and raccoons can transmit the sometimes fatal disease rabies.
If you plan on obtaining a wildlife permit so that you can keep a wild animal as a household pet, you should be cautious. Wild animals often carry parasites that can be harmful or fatal to your family, such as tapeworms, ringworms, and lungworms. Rabbits, rats, mice, and gerbils are far less trouble and much less of a financial commitment than a permit and a bag full of medical supplies .
Raccoons and Bats – I’ve already mentioned bats and raccoons once in this article, but they have particular legal restrictions that are worth noting again. For raccoons you need a fair amount of money, a padlocked castle of an enclosure, and a special endorsement from the State of Washington to legally register it. Additionally, raccoons tend to be very messy and dirty. Contrary to endless myths, raccoons do not wash their food. They actually soak it, which is basically the same thing their close cousin the opossum does when it drinks from a stream. Opium berries are sometimes found floating by the waterside, after all.
Permits for wildlife are available from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, but they are not cheap—and they are required for both bats and raccoons. A special Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit is valid for three years, and costs $125 per animal group. An annual fee of $75 is required for every single animal group afterwards. Other state agencies are available for applying for an animal-facility permit, such as the Department of Health or Department of Agriculture.
Washington State’s rules are explicit about not allowing the import of raccoon species. That means that even legally obtained and held animals that are not from the State of Washington will not be allowed entry. If you wish to keep a wild animal as a pet, make it legal.

Laws Related to Animal Welfare and Protection

Although Washington pet owners have the right to keep their pets and to reasonably expect that they will receive required medical care, this does not grant them free license to abuse or neglect their animal companions. Under Washington law, there are laws in place to protect pets from being victims of abuse, neglect and even fatal violence- all things that are sadly all too common in our world today.
The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) § 16.52.205 is titled "Harmful conduct to animals" and can be found by searching this code. The provisions of this law list out the criminal acts which are specifically forbidden by law. Some examples of prohibited acts are: It is also illegal to knowingly own or keep an animal when there is a substantial risk that the animal may be the victim of any of these acts, and the person fails, once they become aware of the risk, to take reasonable steps to remove the animal from harm. Any violation of RCW § 16.52.205 is considered an unranked class C felony, and persons convicted of the crime may also be liable for the civil remedy of treble damages, attorney fees, expert witness fees and legal costs that are reasonably incurred as a result of the violation, and any other actual damages.
Because animal cruelty crimes are classified under the Revised Code of Washington under animal protection laws, it is important to understand that fundamental rights governed by the Fourteenth Amendment do not apply to pets. In fact, the Washington legislature has recognized that animals are property, and under RCW § 16.52.205(1), anyone who knowingly commits harmful conduct to an animal can be found guilty of animal cruelty in the first degree if the conduct results in:

Legal Resources for Pets in Washington

Washington state is home to a plethora of resources for pet owners. From the ever-important veterinary clinics and hospitals that provide care in critical situations, to animal shelters providing forever homes to those animals in need, or the pet training services ensuring well-mannered pets, the choices are abundant. For those pets requiring specialized services, there are even more options available, but only if sufficient funds are available to cover the costs. The three Seattle-area veterinary specialty hospitals — Puget Sound Veterinary Specialists in Bellevue, Animal Critical Care and Referral Center in Shoreline and Cascade Veterinary Referral Hospital in Lynnwood — offer specialists in surgery, cardiology, oncology, dermatology, neurology, physical therapy, internal medicine, etc.
Additional options are also available through outpatient service providers throughout the state. The King County Animal Shelter provides animal shelter, foster, and veterinary services to residents and operates the only municipal full-service animal shelter in King County, including animal control and education services . Feline and canine services are offered by Seattle Animal Shelter, which provides shelter and care for abandoned animals and pet licensing in the city of Seattle. Animal communication services, spa/jacuzzi services, grooming, tartar removal, procedures, training and service dog training are provided by Out West Pet Spa and Clinic in Redmond. Behavior trainers, daycare, kennel, pet sitting and pet transport services are available through Mud Bay Pet Services. Seattle area dog trainers include Kinsey Kuts Grooming & Dog Training Studio, Seatac Station Kennels and All About Dogs. Wildlife rehabilitation, educational programs, and field surveys for the local municipalities are provided by PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood, and Thistle Rock Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Castle Rock. Home pet euthanasia, pet aftercare, pet memorial services, burial and cremation services are offered by Forever Loved Pet Memorial Center in Monroe. Wildlife rescue, care, and rehabilitation are offered by Whidbey Animals’ Treetops Shelter in Clinton. Animal rights and human/canine companion advocacy, education, and public policies services are provided by Animal Legal Defense Fund.