Kent, WA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- RCW 16.52.360, adopted by KCC 9.02.100
- Default rule
- No sale of dogs or cats by retail pet stores
- Grandfather cutoff
- Store must have sold dogs before 7/25/2021
- Penalty
- $250 civil infraction per violation
- Repeat violations
- 3+ in a year bars all future sales
- Adoption exception
- Space for rescue/shelter adoptions still allowed
Summary
Kent enforces Washington's retail pet-store sale ban. RCW 16.52.360, adopted into the Kent City Code by KCC 9.02.100, bars retail pet stores from selling or offering to sell any dog or cat, with a narrow grandfather clause for stores that sold dogs before July 25, 2021 and meet strict breeder-sourcing and disclosure rules. Stores may still host rescue-group adoptions.
(1) Except as provided in this section, a retail pet store may not sell or offer for sale any dog or cat. (2) A retail pet store that sold or offered for sale any dog prior to July 25, 2021, may sell or offer for sale a dog only if the retail pet store meets the following requirements: (a) Any dog sold or offered for sale must be sold or offered for sale only at the address identified on the retail pet store's business license... (4)(a) It is a class 1 civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW for any person or corporation who violates this section, subject to the maximum infraction of $250. ... (b) Any retail pet store that violates this section three or more times over a one-year period is prohibited from selling or offering to sell any dog or cat.
Full Breakdown
360 by reference "as currently enacted or as hereafter amended," giving it the same force as if printed in the Kent City Code. 310 or a USDA-licensed broker sourcing from such a breeder, and only with documentation proving the dog was not separated from its mother before eight weeks old. Any advertisement must list a price range and the dog's age, and the store must post the breeder's name, kennel name, city, state and license numbers on a kiosk near the entrance, plus disclose the price and any federal or state violations from the breeder's last two inspection reports before the sale.
Cats have no equivalent sale exception; the statute's carve-out covers only dogs. A retail pet store may still provide space for an animal care and control agency or rescue group to showcase adoptable dogs and cats, provided each cage displays the rescue's name and address. Nothing in the statute stops Kent from adopting a stricter local ordinance, but as of this code, Kent relies on the state text as adopted.
Violations & Fines
Violating the sale ban is a class 1 civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW, capped at a $250 penalty per infraction, and can be served on the store's registered agent. An enforcement officer under RCW 7.80.040 or an animal control officer under RCW 16.52.015 investigates and issues the infraction, appealable under chapter 7.80 RCW. A store cited three or more times in one year loses the right to sell or offer to sell any dog or cat at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pet store in Kent sell puppies or kittens?
Can Kent pet stores host adoption events for shelter animals?
What happens if a Kent pet store violates the sale ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
Compare Kent to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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Pet Store Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle pet store rules.