Animal Care and Control

How is King County doing?

The number of dogs and cats handled by King County Animal Care and Control in the animal shelters or through animal control calls in the field is going down, a positive indicator. Fewer animals in the shelters could be a sign that community-wide efforts to reduce the pet population through spay/neuter surgery are working. The reduction in animal control field calls could be a sign that community-wide campaigns to encourage responsible pet ownership are working.

The number of cats and dogs coming into King County animal shelters was down in 2008, going from 11,881 in 2007 to 10,218 in 2008. The number of calls for animal control field services declined in 2008, going from 14,352 in 2007 to 11,666 in 2008. The number of calls for animal cruelty was down slightly in 2008 (984) from 2007 (1,027).

The field service generating the most calls continues to be a request for an animal control patrol, with 2,280 calls in 2008. A patrol call is requested for a variety of situations, such as when a citizen sees a loose dog running through their neighborhood. Vicious dogs (1,029 calls in 2008) and barking dog petitions (888 in 2008) continued to be other high volume service requests.

What else influences these indicators?

Many factors influence this indicator, from overall population growth (more people leads to more animals), to the overall economy (a slow economy can equal more animals relinquished to the animal shelters).

What role does King County government play?

Ultimately, King County has limited control over the number of animals coming into the shelters and the number of calls for animal control field services. King County attempts to influence this indicator by promoting responsible pet ownership and spay/neuter programs. In any case, King County does not turn away animals from the animal shelters, and attempts to respond to every animal control call in a timely manner.