Animal Services

Animal Control Officers promote the understanding of animal laws, partner with pet owners and complainants to achieve compliance on animal-related matters, inspect kennels and other animal businesses, and have the authority to pursue enforcement actions as necessary. Snohomish County Animal Control Officers are specially commissioned deputies by the Snohomish County Sheriff and respond to over 2.500 calls for service on average per year. 

Leash Law



In unincorporated Snohomish County ,all dogs must be leashed when off the owner's premises. For more information about the county's leash law, please see SCC 9.14.030.

Animal Complaints



Animal Control Officers investigate animal complaints that occur in unincorporated Snohomish County. Complaints may be filed online or by phone. 
  • By phone call 425-388-3440 Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Calls received after business hours, on weekends or holidays will be returned on the next business day. 

Barking Dogs



All dogs bark - however, when barking becomes a neighborhood nuisance, there are steps that can be taken to help alleviate the problem. 
  1. Start by talking to the pet owner and explain what is occurring.
  2. If that does not resolve the issue or the owner is not approachable, you can file an online complaint. The owner will receive notification that a complaint has been filed along with resources on how to control excessive barking.
  3. If the excessive barking continues, you may document the ongoing issue using the Barking Dog Complaint Form. The documentation should include the date of each barking incident to include the time the barking started and the time the barking stopped. This will assist Animal Control Services in escalating enforcement. 
For additional information please see SCC 9.12.060 or our FAQ page.