Your Pet & the Law!

Spokane County Animal Laws – Spokane County Code, Chapter 5:

Animals at Large: Dogs must be kept on their owners’/guardians’ properties and, when on public property, be leashed (on a leash no longer than eight feet in length) at all times. Cats who are not spayed/neutered may not run at large, and cats may not enter upon property other than their owners’/guardians’ without permission from the property owner.

Barking: Dogs may not howl, yell, whine, bark, or make other noises that unreasonably disturb a person or group of persons.

Bites: Domestic animals that bite or otherwise break the skin of any person must be isolated and quarantined for ten days.

Cruelty: Animals may never be physically mistreated, abused, or neglected, and animals must be provided with adequate care, shelter, and medical attention at all times.

Dangerous Animals: Animals that attack, bite, or physically threaten a person or other animal without provocation may be deemed “dangerous” and subject to special care restrictions.

Disturbance: Dogs may not disturb people on public property by snarling, barking, growling, or jumping at or toward such people.

Licensing: All dogs and cats who reside within Spokane County and are over the age of six months must be licensed through SCRAPS. Licensing helps to ensure that lost companion animals find their ways home, and licensing fees directly support the sheltering of homeless, lost, abused, and neglected animals.

Number:  Spokane County Code, Title 5, Section 5.04.020

Rabies Vaccination: All dogs and cats over the age of six months must be vaccinated against Rabies.

Unsterilized Animals: Dogs or cats in heat may not be accessible to other animals for purposes other than controlled or planned breeding.

Spokane County Animal Laws – Spokane Municipal Code, Chapter 17:

Numbers: Section 17C.310.120 

Waste Removal: Owners/guardians must remove any and all fecal matter deposited by their animal(s) on public property or private property owned by another before leaving the immediate area where the fecal matter was deposited.

Spokane Valley Municipal Code:

Number:  See Appendix A

Spokane County Animal Laws – Washington State Law, Chapter 16:

Confinement: An animal may not be left or confined in a motor vehicle or other enclosed space if the animal could be harmed or killed by exposure to excessive heat or cold, lack of ventilation, or lack of necessary water.

Tethering: Any dog that is restrained outside by a tether may only be restrained for a period of time that is not reckless and otherwise complies with RCW 16.52.350. The tether may not cause the dog to become entangled on another object and must allow the dog to sit, lie down, and stand comfortably. Tethered dogs must have access to clean water and appropriate shelter at all times.