Pet owners of King County: Beware.

The county will be slapping a $75 penalty on all pet owners who have not purchased a license for their pets.

“The … penalty is aimed at increasing the number of pet owners in unincorporated King County who protect their pets with a license,” a press release from the county read, calling the fee a “proven approach” to getting people to ante up for their animals.

The county will begin issuing the penalties April 1.

King County has modeled the penalty after a City of Seattle program that increased pet licensing after the agency instituted licensing fines. Pet owners won’t get hit with the fine if they take the county’s offer to buy a pet license.

“Those who refuse to license their pet after this opportunity will be assessed a $75 penalty,” the county press release reads.

“The new penalty will get people’s attention but licensing your pet is really about being a responsible pet owner,” said Carolyn Ableman, Director of the Records and Licensing Services Division. “It is simply a tool that will increase the chances that you will be reunited with your dog or cat if it get lost by making sure animal control staff have a record of how to reach you. We’re confident that this new penalty will increase the number of pets in unincorporated King County that are reunited with their owner, rather than housed and put up for adoption at the county’s expense.”

County staff said the license gives pet owners the following services:

• The first time a licensed pet is found running loose, the county will attempt to give it a free ride home.

• If a licensed pet ends up in a King County shelter, staff will hold it for a longer period and “make every effort to call or write the owner to inform them that the pet is at the shelter and available for pickup,” the press release reads.

• Owners of licensed pets are eligible for the Vacation Pet Alert program. Pet owners can alert the county when they are on vacation and provide the number for their pet’s caretaker so that if their pet gets loose, animal control staff can reach the right person in the owner’s absence.

• Staff will pick up an owner’s pet from their home at no charge, should the owner need to release it to the county.

• The county’s euthanasia service is free.

In 2009, King County Pet License fees increased for the first time in five years. The fee for a pet license for a spayed or neutered pet is $30 per year. The licensing fee for an unaltered pet is $90 per year and both must be renewed each year. Discounts are available for owners of juvenile pets (under six months of age), and for senior citizens, who are eligible to purchase a license for lifetime of each pet.

Licenses can be purchased on-line, by mail, and at more than 100 sales outlets in King County’s service area, including many local QFC stores, local veterinarians, city halls, general licensing locations, animal shelters, and King County community service centers.

Learn more

For a complete list of pet license sales outlets or to purchase a pet license on-line, please visit the King County Animal Care and Control website at www.kingcounty.gov/pets.