Lakewood, WA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

040. 020 defines "exotic animal" to include venomous snakes capable of inflicting serious harm, nonhuman primates and prosimians, bears, nondomesticated felines such as cougars, bobcats and lynx, nondomesticated canines and their hybrids including wolf and coyote hybrids, and the order crocodilia (alligators, crocodiles, caiman, gavials). The definition also sweeps in any other nondomesticated animal an animal control officer or a neighbor complaint shows has a dangerous propensity toward the public. 040 apply to government-run facilities such as public zoos, museums, research labs, circuses, fairs, zoological parks and recognized service-animal training programs, but breeding of exotic animals is separately prohibited even by those exempt from the possession ban, unless the breeder is itself a government facility.

060 allows the animal control authority to impound and euthanize an exotic animal in exigent circumstances, such as when it poses an imminent risk of serious harm (a wandering exotic animal is presumed to meet this standard), when no lawful housing can be found, or when it carries a communicable disease. An owner has 15 days from notice of impoundment to appeal to the City Manager. This is a Lakewood municipal ordinance and does not apply to property on the adjoining Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which is federal land outside city jurisdiction.