King County is waiving fees on all pets in its shelters and in foster care, officials have announced. Dogs, puppies and kittens previously cost $75 to adopt, and adult cats were $35, according to the county. While there still will be a charge for a pet license, the change is part of an effort to find pets safe homes as flood season begins.
When the county adopts out animals, vaccinations, including rabies, are included. A list of adoptable pets is at www.kingcounty.gov/pets.
County Executive Kurt Triplett announced in late September his intent to move pets out of the county's Kent shelter by Nov. 1 because the building could be flooded this winter due to damage to the Howard Hanson Dam.
At that time, Triplett also said King County would stop providing shelter and animal-control services to cities by the middle of next year as part of an effort to close a budget gap.
While the county has identified a few sites for a temporary shelter, it hasn't closed a deal yet, Christine Lange, a county spokeswoman, said last week.
"We're very close to having plans finalized, and the animals will be out of the shelter well in advance of a flood event," Lange said.
The county's Kent shelter on Oct. 19 stopped accepting pets given up by owners, she said. Last week, the shelter had 310 animals, county records show. There were 523 more animals, mostly cats, in foster care.
Is it your turn to rescue a kitty? I hope so.
(Photo courtesy of www.petfinder.com)
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