Benton County, OR Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption section
- Benton County Code § 9.810(2)(b)
- Permit issuer
- State of Oregon, not county
- Underlying ban
- § 9.810(1), traveling animal displays
- Separate county track
- § 9.475 Animal Rescue Entity (companion animals)
- Enforcement
- Animal Control Officer, § 9.815
- Penalty if unexempt
- $500-$1,000, § 9.820
Summary
Benton County does not license wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facilities itself; instead, County Code § 9.810(2)(b) exempts any veterinary clinic or wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility 'licensed or permitted by the State of Oregon' from the chapter's ban on using wild or exotic animals in traveling displays. The exemption sits inside the Chapter 9 ban enforced by the Animal Control Officer, with fines up to $1,000 for violations of the underlying ban.
9.810 - Prohibitions. ... (2)The following facilities, institutions, persons, entities, associations, and government agencies are exempt from compliance with BCC 9.810(1): ... (b)Veterinary clinics or wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facilities that are licensed or permitted by the State of Oregon;
Full Breakdown
810(2)(b) excuses 'Veterinary clinics or wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facilities that are licensed or permitted by the State of Oregon' from the display ban. 810(2), the ordinance defers to the state's own licensing system for wildlife rehabilitators rather than layering a separate county wildlife-rescue permit on top. 420, but that registration track is built around Oregon's animal-rescue-entity statutes for companion animals, not wildlife rehabilitation, so a wildlife rescue's operative authorization remains its state wildlife permit. 810(2)(b) and remains subject to the traveling-display ban and its penalties if it uses a listed wild or exotic animal in a display. 810(2) actually applies.
Violations & Fines
There's no county fine for operating a licensed wildlife rescue; the exemption at § 9.810(2)(b) simply removes state-licensed facilities from the traveling-display prohibition. An unlicensed operator that uses a wild or exotic animal in a display, however, is exposed to the same Chapter 9 penalty as any other violator: a $500 fine per violation, escalating to $1,000 for a continuing violation, under § 9.820.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Benton County issue its own wildlife rescue permit?
What if a wildlife rehabilitator in Benton County doesn't have a state license?
Is Benton County's Animal Rescue Entity registration the same as a wildlife rescue permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Benton County
Compare Benton County to another location·View the Oregon animal ordinances overview
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