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Bothell staff seek feedback on full rewrite of animal-control code; no council action at study session
Summary
Police and animal-control staff presented a repeal-and-replace draft of Title 6 to update neglect enforcement, dangerous-dog rules, hobby‑kennel licensing and a tiered penalty system; council gave feedback and staff will return for action at a later date.
City of Bothell police and animal‑control staff presented a full rewrite of Title 6 (animals) in a January study session, asking the City Council for feedback on a draft that would repeal and replace the current chapter. No action was requested or taken.
Police Chief Ken Superlek introduced the study session and said the Police Department and legal staff concluded the chapter required a complete overhaul to align with state law and modern enforcement practices. Grace Myers, Police Support Services Manager, and Animal Control Officer Christy Boucher led the presentation.
Key changes in the draft include a tiered enforcement and penalty system designed to allow self‑correction before criminal prosecution, clearer authority to enforce animal neglect, an updated dangerous‑ and potentially dangerous‑dog designation process, and revised procedures for rabies control and quarantine. The draft also modernizes hobby‑kennel and hobby‑cattery rules by removing requirements that animal control and police conduct electrical and plumbing inspections and by eliminating neighbor approval as a licensing prerequisite.
Officer Boucher told council that hobby or special hobby kennel licenses would remain available and that the special hobby license carries no application fee; the draft keeps the ordinary household pet limits in place (three dogs or three cats, or up to four combined) but allows owners to apply for special permission when appropriate.
Council members asked a range of operational questions: whether accessory‑license types would trigger additional inspections, how the city would treat foster or short‑term animal care services, how the new neglect authority would be applied in low‑level welfare cases, whether rabies titers or veterinarian letters could substitute for vaccine proof, and how zoning rules for larger animals (chickens, llamas, livestock) interact with the animal code. Staff responded that zoning (Title 12) sets allowable animal types and counts by lot size and that the Title 6 update proposes to adopt enforcement language so animal control can act on those zoning standards.
Staff said the goal is to provide more enforcement tools to address cases of animal harm while also preserving options that let animals remain in their homes when appropriate. As an example, Officer Boucher said the draft would allow stepped civil penalties and outreach that can lead to corrective action before escalation to criminal enforcement.
The council offered specific clarifications staff agreed to track (senior license discounts, renewal cadence, and accepted medical waivers for rabies vaccination) and thanked staff for outreach events that informed the draft. The city will return with an action item at a later meeting after additional review and code refinement.
