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Types of pet businesses that need a permit

Pet businesses that need a permit to operate in King County include:

Businesses that sell animals, birds, fish and amphibians (pet shops)

Many pet shops that sell animals also may do grooming, cat adoptions, sales of pet foods and other services that may require additional permits. Please see permit requirements if your business will be providing other services.

A pet shop is any establishment, store or department of any store that acquires, through purchase, consignment, donation, importation or breeding, live animals including birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish or poultry, but excluding livestock, and sells or offers to sell, adopt or trade the live animals to the public or retail outlets.

An aquarium is any establishment, store or department of any store that acquires, through purchase, consignment, donation, importation or breeding any combination of live fish, corals, aquatic amphibians or invertebrates, but no other types of pets, and sells or offers to sell, adopt or trade the live animals to the public or retail outlets.

Resources for pet shops and aquariums:

Animal shelter or satellite adoption center

An animal shelter is any facility used to house or contain and offer or distribute for adoption as pets any stray, homeless, abandoned or unwanted animals other than livestock that is owned, operated or maintained by a public body, an established humane society, animal welfare society, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals or other nonprofit organizations, or by a person or persons devoted to the welfare, protection and humane treatment of animals.

Animal shelters include satellite pet adoption facilities but do not include pet adoption services performed at an animal shelter or satellite pet adoptions facility not more than a total of 21 days per year.

Resources for animal shelters:

Pet daycare and pet boarding facilities

  • Pet boarding, also known as a commercial kennel, is any establishment where four or more dogs or cats are kept for commercial purposes, including but not limited to board, propagation and training. Pet boardings include, but are not limited to, dog or cat boarding facilities, training facilities where dogs or cats are boarded during the course of training, catteries and dog or cat breeding or importation businesses. Pet boardings do not include pet shops, pet daycare facilities, animal shelters, pet grooming services or veterinary hospitals or clinics where animals are kept for surgical or medical treatment under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
  • Pet daycares include any commercial facility where four or more dogs or other pet animal are left by their owners for periods of supervised social interaction in play groups with other animals of the same species for the majority of the time the pets are at the facility during the hours the facility is open to the public.

Resources for pet daycares and pet boarding/commercial kennel:

Pet groomers

  • Pet grooming service is any establishment or mobile unit, public or private, where pet animals are bathed, clipped or combed for the purpose of enhancing their aesthetic value or health, or both, and for which a fee is charged. Pet grooming service includes any self-service dog washing business where the customer washes their own pets. Pet grooming service does not include incidental bathing or combing of pets as part of regular animal care performed at a pet shop, pet boarding, pet daycare, animal shelters or grooming performed on an infrequent nonprofit basis for hobby or recreational purposes.
  • Note: Pet grooming permits are required for facilities that do nail trims, "u wash" dog wash, and "u wash" dog kiosk

Resources for groomers:

Mobile pet groomers

Mobile units are where animals are animals are bathed, clipped or combed for the purpose of enhancing their aesthetic value or health, or both, and for which a fee is charged.

Resources for mobile pet groomers:

Businesses that sell baby chicks and poultry (domesticated fowl or game birds)

Poultry retail business means any establishment, store, department of any store or other establishment that acquires live poultry through purchase, consignment, donation, importation, hatching or breeding, and sells or offers to sell, adopt or trade the live poultry to the public.

"Poultry retail business" does not include any facilities that hold animals for not more than twenty-four hours before the animals are sold, auctioned, adopted, traded or donated and removed from the premises.

"Poultry" means all domesticated fowl and all game birds which are held in captivity.

Pet cafés (may also need a food business permit)

Pet cafés are gaining popularity in many areas of the US including Washington state.

A pet café is an animal adoption center that is usually adjacent to a permitted food business. The pet adoption portion and where people interact with their pets must be completely separated. In most cases, customers can purchase their food or beverage items in the food establishment and bring them to the pet café to enjoy time with pets. In some cases, the risk of zoonotic disease transmission is high and it is discouraged to bring food and beverages into the pet café portion of the business.

If you are interested in the pet café business model send us an inquiry to PetBusinesses@kingcounty.gov

See also: Information on animal shelters

Pet food retailer

Pet food retail business is any retail establishment selling any of the following for consumption by pets: Foods or treats requiring refrigeration or freezing to prevent spoilage; or uncooked or partially cooked animal derived pet foods or treats not requiring refrigeration or freezing. Partially cooked animal derived pet foods or treats are those that are cured, dried, dehydrated or smoked and include but are not limited to pig ears, beef hooves, dried tendons, smoked bones, chicken or salmon jerky, and freeze-dried seafood, meat or animal organs.

Resources for pet food retailers:

Related topics

Pet business permits

Learn how to get a new pet business permit, renew an existing permit, or submit plans for a new pet business in King County.

Resources

Resources to support pet businesses owners.

Permit suspension notices

View permit suspension notices for pet businesses and sign up to receive alerts.
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