Published April 1 2015
Canvassers with Regional Animal Services of King County, in coordination with the City of Bellevue, will go door to door on weekends in Bellevue neighborhoods starting Saturday, April 4.
The purpose of the canvassing is to help ensure compliance with city requirements for licensing cats and dogs eight weeks and older. Canvassing has proven an effective method for educating residents about the benefits and requirements of pet licensing. The canvassers will not issue citations, but they will issue temporary licenses for unlicensed pets, allowing pet owners up to 30 days to pay for a license.
Pet owners can mail their license payments to King County, license online or pay in person at Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue Mini-City Hall at Crossroads, all QFC stores in Bellevue or Aerowood Animal Hospital.
Bellevue contracts with RASKC to provide animal services, and pet licensing pays for those services. Canvassing will run from April 4 through October 25 (no canvassing on April 5, Easter Sunday), 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturdays, and 1-7:30 p.m., Sundays. The canvassers will work areas that were not covered in 2014, including:
- Southeast Bellevue near Lakemont Boulevard, Chandler Neighborhood Park and Deer Run Park (portions of zip code 98006);
- The area from Northeast Eighth Street to Southeast Eighth Street, and between 140th and 148th avenues (portions of zip code 98007); and
- All of zip codes 98004 and 98005.
RASKC canvassers are easily recognized by their county logo shirts, name badges, business cards and pet licensing documents. They are trained to follow strict guidelines regarding professional conduct, attire and appropriate behavior.
Canvassers do not peer into windows or over fences, looking for pets. Also, they do not engage in lengthy conversations with anyone answering the door who appears to be under 18 years of age, and they do not ask to enter a home.
There are several benefits of pet licensing, such as: re-uniting owners with lost pets; saving animals lives by funding shelter care; providing licensed pets a free ride home the first time they get lost; investigating reports of animal cruelty or neglect; and responding to reports of dangerous or nuisance animals.
Major concerns or issues should be directed to Sandy Jones, King County pet license canvassing coordinator, at 206-263-1988 or sandy.jones@kingcounty.gov.