Kennewick, WA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

02, the city's animal control chapter. 026, "Skunk, Fox, Raccoon Prohibited," states its purpose directly: to protect public health and prevent rabies transmission to dogs, cats, other pets and people. It makes two things unlawful. First, importing into the state any skunk, fox or raccoon for sale, barter, exchange, gift or personal pet use. Second, acquiring, selling, bartering, exchanging, giving, purchasing, trapping or retaining any skunk, fox or raccoon as a pet or for export. The section carves out a narrow institutional exception: it does not reach a bona fide publicly or privately owned zoological park, circus or other exhibit where the animals have no physical contact with the public, nor scientific or educational institutions, nor fur farming operations.

A violation is a gross misdemeanor. 900, folding Washington's broader exotic-animal possession ban into city law rather than restating it. 010(10)(d) defines a "Dangerous Animal" to include any bobcat, or any hybrid or cross-breed of a bobcat, alongside dogs or animals that have inflicted severe injury or killed livestock without provocation. A bobcat kept as a pet is therefore treated the same as an animal with a documented history of violence, subjecting the owner to the harboring restrictions and permit requirements that apply to dangerous animals under the rest of the chapter, on top of whatever the adopted RCW chapter separately bans for other wild species.