Pasco, WA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

The City of Pasco addresses exotic and dangerous wild animals through PMC 6.05.340, which is titled 'RCW sections adopted - Possession of potentially dangerous wild animals prohibited.' Rather than writing a separate local list, Pasco adopts Washington State's Dangerous Wild Animals Act, RCW Chapter 16.30. Under RCW 16.30.030, a person may not own, possess, keep, harbor, bring into the state, or have custody or control of a potentially dangerous wild animal, and may not breed one. The statute's definitions (RCW 16.30.010) cover animals such as lions, tigers, captive-bred cougars, jaguars, cheetahs, leopards, wolves (excluding wolf-hybrids), bears, hyenas, non-human primates, elephants, rhinoceroses, certain large reptiles such as crocodiles and alligators, and venomous snakes. The law includes a limited grandfather clause for someone who legally possessed such an animal before July 22, 2007 and keeps documentation, and exemptions for facilities authorized by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, accredited institutions, brief (21-day) transport, fairs, and similar uses. Conventional domesticated pets are not covered by the wild-animal ban. By incorporating RCW 16.30 into the municipal code, Pasco makes the state prohibition locally enforceable as well.