Bothell and Kenmore officials are moving in opposite directions regarding a King County proposal revamping how area cities receive animal-control service.
Bothell City Council already has rejected the idea. Kenmore City Hall staffers recommended that city’s legislators approve the deal at an April 26 meeting.
King County has asked that every city involved give some indication of their reaction by the end of the month. The Kenmore council discussion and vote took place after the Reporter deadline for this issue.
In Bothell, instead of signing up for the new the regional plan, leaders hope to strike a deal with Snohomish County animal authorities, said acting Deputy Police Chief Henry Simon.
Simon is one of those who has been dealing with the animal-control issues on behalf of the city. He said he already has met with Snohomish County officials, though he added that more talks are needed.
“I’m pretty sure we’ll have a good outcome on this,” Simon said.
Though he didn’t have exact numbers, he added he expects a deal with Snohomish will save the city a significant amount of money over a deal with the proposed regional authority.
Both Bothell and Kenmore currently receive animal-control service from King County. But county officials sometime ago announced they hoped to get out of the animal business, citing financial constraints. The county further proposed closure of its kennels.
Early this month, an area task force announced what it termed a new regional approach to animal control under which King County would be divided into four animal-control districts. Each district would have at least one animal-control officer. The county would continue to operate its Kent animal shelter, but Bothell, Kenmore and other cities in the north portion of the county would be asked to contract with the private, nonprofit PAWS shelter on 44th Avenue West in Lynnwood.
Simon said after looking at the regional proposal, he and other Bothell officials studying the issue came to the conclusion the idea was not cost effective for the city. He believes Bothell can receive more service more economically by dealing with Snohomish County. Snohomish County would service all parts of the city, not just those areas located in that county.
“It just makes good sense for us to move in that direction,” Simon said. He added there are three general issues related to animal-control services: enforcement of animal regulations; licensing of animals; and, sheltering of strays or unwanted animals.
Simon said if a deal is reached, Snohomish animal officials partly will share responsibility for enforcing Bothell’s new dangerous animal ordinance adopted earlier this month.
That measure expanded the city’s legal definition for “dangerous dogs” and “potentially dangerous dogs” while also imposing new requirements — notably, rules regarding housing, signage and liability insurance — on the owners of such animals. The new rules also created monetary penalties for violations of the animal ordinance.
While Bothell rejected the regional authority, the city did agree to a contract with the PAWS shelter. Kenmore was expected to strike a bargain with PAWS, as well.
According to Bothell City Public Information Officer Joy Johnston, PAWS will begin accepting unwanted pets from Bothell residents May 1. On June 1, the PAWS shelter will begin taking animals from Bothell control officers and any Good Samaritans hoping to turn in found strays.
According to Simon, there will be a fee for leaving unwanted animals at the shelter, but city residents will pay a reduced amount.
As for who will be licensing your Bothell dog or cat, that question seems an open one. Simon said in the past, fees went to King County, but if the city and Snohomish County strike an overall agreement, that county obviously would get a share of the proceeds. However, Simon stated the city still is considering having an independent contractor handle animals licensing. He added costs related to any licensing deal will be one deciding factor.
