North Bend, Snoqualmie and Carnation are among 27 cities receiving animal control through King County’s new Regional Animal Services model. Services include licensing, assisting lost pets, adoptions, calls for assistance, complaint filing, injured animal rescues and cruelty investigations.

All dogs and cats that are 8 weeks of age or older in service-contracting cities and in unincorporated King County must be licensed. Indoor-only cats and pets confined to fenced yards are also required to have licenses, allowing them a better chance of return in case they get away from home.

Under the new model, the cost for pet licenses for spayed animals will remain unchanged at $30, and will be reduced to $60. Previously, licenses for an unaltered pets cost $90.

Licenses for pets younger than six months cost $15. Previously, those licenses cost $5.

The new model changes King County Code to institute a no-tolerance fine for unlicensed pets in the county, with fines ranging from $125 for a spayed or neutered pet to $250 for an unaltered pet.

As part of the transition to the new model, residents will have an amnesty period until October 1 to purchase a license for unlicensed pets without facing a fine. In North Bend, residents can purchase pet licenses in person at the North Bend City Hall, QFC Grocery Store, and North Bend Animal Clinic.

In Snoqualmie, licenses can be purchased at Snoqualmie City Hall, 38624 S.E. River St., and Sno-Falls Licensing at Sno-Falls Credit Union, 9025 Meadowbrook Way.

Pet licenses may be also purchased or renewed at www.kingcounty.gov/pets.

King County is now divided into four animal control districts, each staffed by at least one animal control officer, and cities will enjoy significant economies of scale. The County’s Kent Shelter will remain open, having absorbed animals and staff from the closure of a smaller facility at Crossroads in June. The change will provide increased staff attention to animals at the Kent Animal Shelter. The county projects that the Kent Animal Shelter, staff and volunteers will serve about 8,000 homeless and lost animals in 2010.

To learn more about licensing in North Bend, call (425) 888-7636 or e-mail to jsmart@northbendwa.gov.

To learn about Snoqualmie licensing options, call (425) 888-1555 or e-mail to info@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us.

To report a lost or found pet, please call the Pet Information Line at 206-296-PETS.