Published March 26 2014
In coordination with the City of Bellevue, two canvassers with Regional Animal Services of King County will go door to door in Bellevue neighborhoods beginning April 5. The purpose of the canvassing is to help ensure compliance with city requirements that cats and dogs eight weeks and older are licensed.
Canvassing is an effective way to educate residents about the benefits and requirements of licensing their pets. The canvassers will not issue citations, but they will issue temporary licenses for unlicensed pets, allowing the pet owner up to 30 days to pay for a license. Pet owners can mail their license payment to King County, license online or pay in person at City Hall, Mini-City Hall at Crossroads, all QFC stores in Bellevue or Aerowood Animal Hospital.
Bellevue contracts with King County to provide animal services and pet licensing pays for those services. Starting April 5 and ending October 26, King County canvassers will work territory that wasn't covered in 2013, including the following areas:
- Near Bellevue Municipal Golf Course, between 140th Avenue Northeast and 148th Avenue Northeast (zip code 98005);
- Tam O’Shanter Golf and Country Club area, covering streets off West Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast (zip code 98008);
- Crossroads area, between 156th to 164th Avenue Northeast, and Northeast Eighth to Southeast 16th Street (zip code 98008);
- Vasa Park area from Southeast 24th Street to the Interstate 90, and 161st Avenue Southeast to 180th Avenue Southeast (zip code 98008); and
- As canvassers finish the areas north of I-90 they will move south of I-90 to the areas of Newport Hills, Somerset and Lakemont (zip code 98006).
King County canvassers are easily recognized by county name badges, logo shirts, business cards, and pet licensing documents. They are trained to follow strict guidelines regarding professional conduct, attire and appropriate behavior.
For example, canvassers do not peer in windows or over fences looking for pets. They do not engage in lengthy conversation with anyone answering the door who appears to be under 18 years of age and they do not ask to enter a home.
Benefits of pet licensing are numerous, and include: re-uniting owners with lost pets; providing licensed pets a free ride home the first time they get lost; saving animals' lives by funding shelter care; responding to reports of dangerous or nuisance animals; and investigating reports of animal cruelty or neglect.
Major concerns or issues should be directed to Sandy Jones, King County pet license canvassing coordinator at 206-205-6167 or sandy.jones@kingcounty.gov.