Clark County reaches hoarding through its cruelty and minimum-care rules: it is unlawful to neglect or fail to provide adequate food, water, shelter, space, and veterinary care to any animal in your custody. Over-limit dog counts also trigger kennel licensing.
CCC 8.11.070 makes it unlawful to neglect or fail to provide "minimum care" — including, in each 24-hour period, food of sufficient quantity and quality and adequate access to potable water, weatherproof shelter, necessary veterinary care, and confinement space with room for exercise and rest kept reasonably clean. These standards are how hoarding situations, where animals lack food, water, space, or care, are enforced. Keeping more than five adult dogs inside the urban growth boundary (or nine outside) also makes the property an unlicensed kennel under CCC 8.01.020(19). Animal control may impound neglected animals under Chapter 8.19.
Cruelty/neglect under CCC 8.11.070 is a misdemeanor per CCC 8.19.020 — up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine — plus impoundment of the animals and possible additional state animal-cruelty charges under RCW 16.52.
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