Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dog License Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Auditor proposes higher dog-license fees; council schedules public hearing for Nov. 4
Summary
San Juan County Auditor Natasha Warmanhoven proposed raising dog-license fees for the 2026 license year to $20 for spayed or neutered animals and $50 for intact animals to keep pace with inflation and to increase funding for animal protection societies. Council scheduled a public hearing on Nov. 4.
County Auditor Natasha Warmanhoven presented a first-touch proposal on Oct. 6 to increase San Juan County dog-license fees for the 2026 licensing year and asked the council to schedule a public hearing on Nov. 4.
Warmanhoven said the recommended changes are intended to offset eight years of inflation since the last fee change in 2017 and to increase support for island animal protection societies that operate impound and rehoming services. She proposed raising the fee for spayed or neutered dogs from $15 to $20 and for intact dogs from $40 to $50, retaining the existing late fee and replacement-tag charges and keeping the livestock fund balance at $5,000.
The auditor explained several operational changes designed to reduce program costs, including permanent (non-yeared) tags and online renewals through the county’s Helion software, both intended to reduce annual operating-supply expenses and encourage more timely compliance.
Council members asked for additional detail before finalizing the proposal, including (1) a breakdown of the current number of licensed animals by island (the auditor said about 1,200 licensed animals countywide), (2) how increased revenues would flow to the San Juan, Orcas and Lopez animal protection societies, (3) any enforcement mechanisms and penalties for unlicensed dogs, and (4) whether to consider a lower intact-dog rate for young animals pending veterinary guidance about age for spay/neuter.
Warmanhoven said she has been consulting with the sheriff’s office and will provide island-by-island license counts and more details on enforcement options for later discussion. Council members emphasized outreach and public education, noting that past public awareness of where to obtain a license (not only at the auditor’s office) is inconsistent and that improved advertising is needed.
The council voted to schedule a public hearing on Nov. 4, 2025, to receive testimony on proposed San Juan County code amendments to sections covering dog licenses. The auditor said she will add requested data and stakeholder outreach prior to the public hearing.
Provenance: Auditor presentation and council discussion occurred during the Oct. 6 meeting.
