Pet owners in King County will soon have better oversight of businesses such as dog day cares, grooming facilities and animal shelters.
The county says it values transparency so owners can make informed decisions about the care of their pets.
Alison Scarborough said: “I never thought something like this would happen.”
Scarborough is still heartbroken more than five months after a fire broke out at The Dog Resort in Sodor, causing several puppies to escape.
Both of her dogs ran away, but only one came back.
“I will never forgive what happened to Georgie and Remi, as it was completely preventable if the business had been run safely,” she explained.
Georgie escaped the flames on Nov. 13, but was struck and killed by a car on Interstate 5.
Remy, who was injured after falling from an overpass, has recovered.
But Mr Scarborough is still fighting for more transparency for pet owners.
“Empowering consumers and customers is important. We also submitted additional requests for actual regulatory reform.”
King County and the City of Seattle announced they will provide more information to the public, including the suspension of valid permits.
King County Public Health responded to KIRO 7 in a statement:
“We know that access to information about pet businesses is important for pet owners to make informed decisions about the care of their pets. We are capitalizing on the positive response to our announcement and are developing the best way to share this information with the public.”
Scarborough said he learned The Dog Resort was not in compliance. She says this information would have been very helpful and thought-provoking.
“[The Dog Resort] It was operating with a suspended license. “They have a history of subjecting animals to dangerous and violating conditions and animal abuse,” she said.
The November fire was preceded by another fire at The Dog Resort's Lake City store in February 2023.
Mr Scarborough believes the new update will give pet owners the insight they need, but he also hopes more regulations will be introduced.
“It's the same as the restaurants we eat at. It helps give us a choice for animals who can't tell us when they're on site and when we're not. ” she said.
Scarborough said that even with this update, he will continue to read boarding agreements carefully and monitor the business closely.
“I visit all of our facilities and ask for a complete tour. And I would be really excited if I didn't have to make an appointment to do that, because I could just go to the site and see the situation at that moment. ,” she explained.
Updates to King County's website will be published in the coming weeks. You can find it here.
