County planner asks hearing examiner to revoke No Paws Left Behind kennel permit after late reports, disputed "sick" claim

Okanogan County planning staff asked the county hearing examiner on Oct. 15, 2025, to terminate Conditional Use Permit CUP‑2016‑2 for No Paws Left Behind, a commercial dog kennel rescue authorized to house up to 45 dogs, citing repeated failures to timely submit required monthly inspection reports and an allegedly false statement that there were no sick dogs.

Pam Wilson, planner 2 for Okanogan County, told Hearing Examiner Dave Dotcamp that the July inspection report required on July 1, 2025, was not filed until Sept. 12, 2025, and that the report due Oct. 1 was received Oct. 2. Wilson said the October report stated there were no sick dogs even though a veterinary record for a dog named Rascal dated Sept. 5, 2025, had been reported to the county on Sept. 17 and should have been noted on the October inspection form. "The approved CUP is for a commercial dog kennel rescue to house up to 45 dogs," Wilson said in her presentation.

Wilson told the examiner that Okanogan County Planning was asking that the hearings examiner "terminate in whole the conditional use permit 2016‑2, No Paws Left Behind" because the permit condition requiring inspections and timely, template‑based reports had not been met.

Christopher Allen, the landowner and permit holder, disputed the county's characterization of the dog as "sick," saying the animal has a long‑standing inability to absorb nutrition and is treated with a supplement and periodic weight checks. "Sick is a dog in need of veterinary care immediately or, you know, something to that effect that could cause danger to their life," Allen said. He acknowledged that the July report was late and said he had misinterpreted a revised county template that required monthly reporting "through the first" rather than covering a date range. Allen asked the examiner for a short grace period—about three days—to submit corrected reports and to allow time to authenticate several letters he said may have been misattributed.

Members of a local rescue provided public testimony about a separate incident. Tammy Tatum, who gave a P.O. Box address and identified herself as treasurer for a local rescue, said a dog named Jimbo was found running on Highway 97 on July 28 with "bridal teeth and sores and open wounds on his body" and that Jimbo was taken to Tenaska veterinary, treated with antibiotics, and that a veterinary bill was submitted as evidence (admitted as exhibit B). A representative from All 4 Paws Okanogan Rescue disputed a claim that the rescue had abandoned Jimbo, saying the dog cleared a 6½‑foot fence, was treated at the vet and that rescue staff later agreed the facility could keep or adopt the dog after attempts to have the dog returned.

Wilson told the examiner the county had experienced email delivery problems that led to confusion about which public comments were received; she said that partly explained discrepancies in submitted letters. The hearing examiner closed the record at the end of the hearing and said he would review the file and issue a written decision within 10 working days.

No formal revocation or other final decision was made during the Oct. 15 hearing; the examiner said he would examine the record, including prior orders and the permit file, before issuing a written decision.