The Tacoma City Council voted on June 10 to adopt a set of code updates to better position the City to reduce animal overpopulation. Public complaints about animal issues through the Tacoma FIRST 311 system doubled starting in 2023 and community members frequently express frustration with overburdened animal shelters and strained Animal Control resources. Local animal shelters have also needed to double and triple kennel occupancy, as well as waive or reduce adoption fees, on multiple occasions due to their high intake rates.
The ordinance makes a variety of code updates aimed at reducing animal overpopulation, including banning the breeding, advertising, and sale of companion animals for profit without a current Tacoma business license. The updates also create mandatory spay and neuter requirements for animals impounded by Animal Control, absent proof of alteration or risk to the health of the animal. In addition, the ordinance increases the City’s animal licensing fees to generate new revenue that can help expand low-cost spay and neuter programs, along with increased trap-neuter/spay-return (TNR) efforts to manage community cats.
Council Member John Hines led this work through the Government Performance and Finance Committee and was joined by co-sponsors Council Member Olgy Diaz, Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh, and Council Member Sandesh Sadalge.
“I never expected to work on animal overpopulation issues, but as the Chair of the Government Performance and Finance Committee, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the burden animal overpopulation places on vital City resources, including our Police Department and local animal shelters,” said Council Member Hines. “We need to act now to avoid increasing costs and greater challenges for our community. These code updates are important, but we also need the public’s help to reduce the number of animals in our city. I hope everyone will continue to show how much we love our animals in Tacoma by considering spaying or neutering them, as well as adopting from our local shelters.”
“Tacoma’s residents and animals will be living in in better harmony with today’s code updates,” said Council Member Diaz. “We are making huge strides in enhancing how the City tackles regulating animals in Tacoma. I personally am very passionate about adopting shelter animals and providing better living conditions for our animal companions. When you adopt through the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, the license fees you pay go directly toward funding their critical work. Our fee adjustments are needed to ensure we can continue to fund our shelter system. I am also very excited to create the distinction of community cats. This distinction will give us more tools to tackle spaying and neutering cats to reduce over population. This ordinance update is a big step forward in how we care for animals and our neighborhoods in Tacoma.”
“The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is proud to be the City of Tacoma’s partner in animal sheltering and, ultimately, in advancing animal welfare,” said Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County Chief Executive Officer Leslie Dalzell. “These updates reaffirm the City of Tacoma’s role as a leader in progressive animal welfare policy and our shared commitment to treating every animal with compassion. By formally recognizing community cats as distinct from stray, Tacoma embraces a proven approach to managing, and reducing, outdoor cat populations over time, through TNR. This strategy helps decrease unnecessary shelter intake while supporting responsible population control. The new requirement for microchip implantation upon impound, combined with the 72-hour stray hold period, strengthens reunification efforts and ensures the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County’s resources are prioritized for animals who need them most.”
“This code update is so important to the welfare of the animals that live in Tacoma,” said Council Member Rumbaugh. “I especially appreciate the creative approach of adding the classification of community cats. The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is under a heavy load, and this new classification will help with the spaying and neutering of cats without adding an additional strain on our shelter system. While I don’t agree with every part of this legislation, and would prefer we not allow any pet pigs in Tacoma, I appreciate Council Member Hines’ approach to working with me and finding a compromise that will help us regulate pet pigs and minimize their impact.”
“Here in Tacoma, we know how meaningful a pet is to its family, and we take seriously the need for responsible pet ownership,” said Council Member Sadalge. “This is an ordinance we’ve needed for a while to support the City’s animal control system. I’ve fostered dogs, and have seen firsthand the amount of work that goes into taking care of animals on their journey to their forever home. By increasing pet license fees, we directly support the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County’s work, and by making other adjustments to our code we create new tools to reduce overpopulation and not overburden our shelter system.”
Tacoma residents are required to license cats and dogs over eight weeks of age. New Tacoma residents must obtain pet licenses within 30 days of moving to the city. Details are available here.