Clallam County’s days of unlicensed dogs and cats could be two shakes of a tail away from ending — especially if commissioners add enforcement bite to a proposed animal control law.
The commissioners are considering how to bolster the ordinance with licensing enforcement and getting animals altered and vaccinated for rabies.
Such an ordinance could come with annual license fees that would generate needed revenue for animal control services.
“What percentage (of animals) are licensed, and is there something we can do to encourage owners to license their pets?” asked County Commissioner Steve Tharinger, D-Dungeness, at a Monday work session attended by animal advocates.
The Clallam County Humane Society is seeking $40,000 more from the county this year to keep its animal shelter open.
County Administrator Dan Engelbertson said animal control in larger Washington cities takes “an aggressive stance” that leaves owners of unlicensed pets with the threat of enforcement action.
“When they know that the county will write them a citation for an unlicensed dog, not just a warning,” Engelbertson said, “then I believe that goes a long way to changing that culture.”
