Statutes

Statute by category Citationsort descending Summary
WA - Ordinances - 35.30.010. Additional powers West's RCWA 35.30.010 This Washington statute provides that the council, or other legislative body, of all cities within the state of Washington which were created by special charter prior to the adoption of the state Constitution, and which have not since reincorporated under any general statute, shall have, in addition to the powers specially granted by the charter of such cities, the power to impose and collect an annual license not exceeding two dollars on every dog owned or harbored within the limits of the city. They may also make all such ordinances, bylaws and regulations, not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the state of Washington, as may be deemed expedient to maintain the peace, good government and welfare of the city, and to do and perform any and all other acts and things necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of the municipal corporation.
WA - Dog - Consolidated Dog Laws West's RCWA 4.24.410; 9.08.010 - 90; 9A.76.200; 9.91.170 - 175; 16.10.010 - 40; 16.54.010 - 40; 16.70.010 - 60; 36.49.020 - 070; 77.12.077; 77.15.240, 245, 440; 77.32.525; 77.32.540 These Washington statutes comprise the state's dog laws. Among the provisions include vaccination requirements, dog control zones in municipalities, dangerous dog laws, and provisions concerning hunting with dogs.
WA - Equine Activity Liability - Chapter 4.24. Special Rights of Action and Special Immunities. West's RCWA 4.24.530 - 540 This Washington section provides that an equine activity sponsor or an equine professional shall not be liable for an injury to or the death of a participant engaged in an equine activity, nor may he or she maintain an action against or recover from an equine activity sponsor or an equine professional for an injury to or the death while engaged in an equine activity. Liability is not limited by this statute where the equine professional knowingly provided faulty tack or equipment, failed to make reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of the participant to engage safely in the equine activity, owns or otherwise is in lawful possession of the land or facilities upon which the participant sustained injuries because of a known, dangerous latent condition, or if he or she commits an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant or intentionally injures the participant.
WA - Ecoterrorism - 4.24.570. Acts against animals in research or educational facilities West's RCWA 4.24.570 - 580 These Washington sections concern interference with animal research or educational facilities as well as facilities that keep animals for agricultural or veterinary purposes. Both sections provide that any person or organization that plans or assists in the development of a plan to commit an intentional tort described in the laws is liable for damages to the same extent as a person who has committed the tort. However, membership in a liable organization does not in itself establish the member's liability under this subsection. Section 4.24.580 allows an individual employed with an animal facility to obtain injunctive relief if he or she has reason to believe that he or she may be injured. This includes obtaining an injunction to prevent harassment.
WA - Vehicle - 46.61.660. Carrying persons or animals on outside part of vehicle West's RCWA 46.61.660 This Washington law states that it is illegal to transport any living animal on the running board, fenders, hood, or other outside part of any vehicle unless suitable harness, cage or enclosure is provided that protects the animal from being thrown.
WA - Lien, cruelty - 60.56.025. Lien created for care of animal seized by law enforcement officer West's RCWA 60.56.025 This Washington law states that if a law enforcement officer authorizes removal of an animal pursuant to chapter 16.52 RCW, the person or entity receiving the animal and aiding in its care or restoration to health shall have a lien upon the animal for the cost of feeding, pasturing, and caring otherwise for the animal.
WA - Leasing - 63.10.070. Dog or cat ownership contracts West's RCWA 63.10.070; West's RCWA 63.14.127; West's RCWA 31.04.430 In 2019, Washington enacted legislation prohibiting the sale of a dog or cat through an installment agreement. This resulted in three different new laws corresponding to different types of sales agreements. Essentially, a contract or retail installment contract entered into on or after July 28, 2019, to transfer ownership of a live dog or cat in which ownership is contingent upon the making of payments over a period of time subsequent to the transfer of possession of the live dog or cat is void and unenforceable.
WA - Lost Dog - Chapter 63.21. Lost and Found Property. West's RCWA 63.21.010 - 900 This statutory section comprises Washington's lost property statues.
WA - Eggs - Chapter 96.25. Washington Wholesome Eggs and Egg Products Act West's RCWA 69.25.010 - 930 This collection of Washington laws prohibits the confinement of egg-laying hens in battery cages and mandates the use of cage-free housing. The laws also ban the sale of eggs in Washington from producers that house egg-laying hens in battery cages. These laws apply to egg producers in the state of Washington and out of state producers.
WA - Domestic Violence - 7.105.310. Relief for temporary and full protection orders West's RCWA 7.105.310 (formerly West's RCWA 26.50.060) This Washington law reflects the state's provision for protective orders in cases of domestic abuse. The state renumbered this law in 2022 (the former section was West's RCWA 26.50.060). In addition to other forms of relief, a court may also order possession and use of essential personal effects. Per subsection (1)(n): "The court shall list the essential personal effects with sufficient specificity to make it clear which property is included. Personal effects may include pets. The court may order that a petitioner be granted the exclusive custody or control of any pet owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by the petitioner, respondent, or minor child residing with either the petitioner or respondent, and may prohibit the respondent from interfering with the petitioner's efforts to obtain the pet."
WA - Eagle - 77.12.650. Protection of bald eagles and their habitats--Cooperation required West's RCWA 77.12.650, West's RCWA 77.12.655 This outlines the rules and cooperative agreements mandated for the protection of eagles and their habitats in the state of Washington to prevent the eagle from becoming endangered or threatened.  The administrative rules further describe the partners involved, which include private landowners, and the delineations of habitat buffer zones to protect roosting sites.
WA - Endangered Species - Chapter 77.15. Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Code West's RCWA 77.15.120, 130, 135, 410, 420, 425, 430 Under Washington endangered species provisions, a person is guilty of unlawful taking of endangered fish or wildlife in the second degree if person hunts for, fishes for, possesses, maliciously harasses, or kills fish or wildlife, or possesses or intentionally destroys the nests or eggs of fish or wildlife; the fish or wildlife is designated by the commission as endangered; and the taking of the fish or wildlife or the destruction of the nests or eggs has not been authorized. Additionally, a person is guilty of unlawful taking of endangered fish or wildlife in the first degree if the person has been previously convicted under the above provision within a five-year time period. Once convicted of unlawful taking of endangered fish or wildlife in the first degree (a class C felony), any licenses or tags used in connection with the crime are revoked and the person's privileges to hunt, fish, trap, or obtain licenses under this title are suspended for two years.
WA - Fur - Chapter 77.15. Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Code (Unlawful Trapping Provisions) West's RCWA 77.15.190 - 194 This set of Washington laws describes unlawful trapping. A person is guilty of misdemeanor unlawful trapping if the person sets out traps without the necessary licenses or permits; violates any rule on seasons or bag limits; or fails to identify the owner of the traps or devices with a tag or inscription. The director may revoke the trapper's license of a person placing unauthorized traps on private property and may remove those traps. It is unlawful to use or authorize the use of any steel-jawed leghold trap, neck snare, or other body-gripping trap to capture any mammal for recreation or commerce in fur except as provided in Section 77.15.194.
WA - Hunting - 77.15.210. Obstructing the taking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife--Penalty West's RCWA 77.15.210 - 220 This set of laws represents Washington's hunter harassment provisions. Under the section, a person is guilty of obstructing the taking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife if the person harasses, drives, or disturbs fish, shellfish, or wildlife with the intent of disrupting lawful pursuit or taking, or if the person harasses, intimidates, or interferes with an individual engaged in the lawful taking. Violation is a gross misdemeanor.
WA - Fish - 77.15.250. Unlawful release of fish, shellfish, or wildlife--Penalty--Unlawful release of deleterious exotic wildlif West's RCWA 77.15.250 Under this Washington statute, a person is guilty of unlawfully releasing, planting, possessing, or placing fish, shellfish, or wildlife (gross misdemeanor) if the person knowingly releases such animals within the state, and the animals have not been classified as deleterious wildlife. A person is guilty of unlawfully releasing, planting, possessing, or placing deleterious exotic wildlife (class C felony) if the person knowingly releases animals classified as deleterious.
WA - Trade - 77.15.260. Unlawful trafficking in fish, shellfish, or wildlife--Penalty West's RCWA 77.15.260 This Washington statute pertains to unlawful trafficking in fish, shellfish, and wildlife. A person is guilty of unlawful trafficking in the second degree if s/he traffics in such animals with a wholesale value of less than $250 and the animals are unclassified or classified as game, food fish, shellfish, game fish, or protected wildlife. Unlawful trafficking in the first degree occurs when the animals have a value of $250 or more or the animals are classified as endangered or deleterious exotic wildlife.
WA - Orca - 77.15.740. Protection of southern resident orca whales--Penalty West's RCWA 77.15.740 Under this Washington statute, it is unlawful to feed, intercept, or approach within three hundred feet of a southern resident orca whale, with exceptions. A violation is a natural resource infraction and carries a fine of five hundred dollars, not including statutory assessments added pursuant to RCW 3.62.090.
WA - Wildlife - 77.15.790. Negligently feeding, attempting to feed, or attracting large wild carnivores to land or a building--I West's RCWA 77.15.790, 792 These two Washington laws deal with the unauthorized feeding of large wild carnivores. A person may not negligently feed or attempt to feed large wild carnivores or negligently attract large wild carnivores to land or a building. If a person who is issued a written warning fails to contain, move, or remove the food, food waste, or other substance as directed, the person commits an infraction under chapter 7.84 RCW.
WA - Rehabilitation - 77.15.800. Engaging in wildlife rehabilitation without a permit--Penalty West's RCWA 77.15.800 This Washington law provides that a person is guilty of guilty of engaging in wildlife rehabilitation without a permit if the person captures, transports, treats, feeds, houses, conditions, or trains injured, diseased, oiled, or abandoned wildlife without department authority for temporary actions or a wildlife rehabilitation permit issued by the department. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor.
WA - Beavers - 77.32.585. Release of wild beavers West's RCWA 77.32.585 This Washington law states that the department shall permit the release of wild beavers on public and private lands with agreement from the property owner under specified conditions.
WA - Coyotes - 9.41.185. Coyote getters West's RCWA 9.41.185 This Washington law provides that the use of "coyote getters" is not a violation of law when their use is authorized by the state department of agriculture and/or the state department of fish and wildlife in cooperative programs with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose must be to control or eliminate coyotes that are harmful to livestock or game animals.
WA - Assistance Animal - Assistance Animal/Guide Dog Laws West's RCWA 9.91.170 - 175; 28A.642.010; 49.60.010 - 040, 215, 218, 222; 224; 225; 49.60.370 - 380; 49.90.010; 70.84.010 - 900 The following statutes comprise the state's relevant assistance animal and guide dog laws.
AU - Wildlife - Wilderness Protection Act 1992 (SA) Wilderness Protection Act 1992

An Act to provide for the protection of wilderness and the restoration of land to its condition before European colonisation; and for other purposes.

AU - Wildlife - Wildlife Act 1975 (VIC) Wildlife Act 1975

The purposes of this Act are to establish procedures in order to promote:   the protection and conservation of wildlife; the prevention of taxa of wildlife from becoming extinct; the sustainable use of and access to wildlife; and to prohibit and regulate the conduct of persons engaged in activities concerning or related to wildlife

AU - Wildlife - Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 (Western Australia) Wildlife Conservation Act 1950

The Act covers the protection of fauna, the taking of protected species, licence requirements and possible opportunities, the authority of wildlife officers, crown lands. The Department of Environment and Conservation is the primary agency responsible for conserving this biodiversity. This Act provides for the conservation and protection of wildlife.

China - Wildlife - Wildlife Law Regulations Wildlife Law Regs.

This is the set of regulations for the implementation of the national wildlife law, primarily for the protection of endangered species.

WI - Domestic Violence - 813.12. Domestic abuse restraining orders and injunctions Wis. Stat. Ann. § 813.12, 813.122, 813.123 These Wisconsin statutes concern restraining orders or injunctions in domestic abuse cases, child abuse cases, and cases filed by "individuals as risk." In each of these laws, there are protections for “household pets,” defined as domestic animals that are not farm animals, as defined in s. 951.01(3), that are kept, owned, or cared for by the petitioner or by a family member or a household member of the petitioner. In both cases of domestic abuse and child abuse, a judge or circuit court commissioner shall issue a temporary restraining order ordering the respondent to refrain from removing, hiding, damaging, harming, or mistreating, or disposing of, a household pet, to allow the petitioner or a family member or household member of the petitioner acting on his or her behalf to retrieve a household pet, or any combination of these remedies requested in the petition. The domestic abuse and child abuse laws then outline the procedures for obtaining an injunction that includes those protections for domestic pets if requirements are met under the laws. In section 813.123, an "individual at risk," may also seek a TRO and injunction that orders the respondent to refrain from removing, hiding, damaging, harming, or mistreating, or disposing of, a household pet and allow the individual at risk or a guardian, guardian ad litem, family member, or household member of the individual at risk acting on his or her behalf to retrieve a household pet.
WI - Cats - Question 62 - DEFEATED Wisconsin 2005 Question 62

This controversial measure would have allowed hunters to hunt any cat that was found free roaming, meaning it did not exhibit a collar or other signs of domestic ownership.  At the Monday, April 11, 2005 meeting of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, those in favor of the feral cat hunting proposal  approved the measure by a vote of 6,830 to 5,201.  This approval was then forwarded to the state Natural Resources Board for consideration.  Proponents of the measure suggest feral cats expose domestic animals to disease and endanger native songbirds.  Opponents of the measure counter that such a law would be cruel and archaic, putting domestic cats who have escaped from their homes at risk of death.  On May 25, 2005 at the Natural Resources Board regular spring meeting, a representative of the Congress indicated that the Executive Committee has declined to pursue the issue any further.  (See the official meeting minutes at page 5 at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/minutes/M05/0505%20minutes.pdf ).  Feral cat advocates claimed a public relations victory, as the measure gained national and even international criticism.  (See Alley Cat Allies at http://www.alleycat.org/wi.html ).  (For more on the procedural history of this measure, see the "Long Summary" under the "Statute Details" above).   

IN - Animal Sacrifice - THE TELANGANA ANIMALS AND BIRDS SACRIFICES PROHIBITION ACT, 1950 XXXII OF 1950 The Act, specific to the South Indian state of Telangana, prohibits animal and bird sacrifice at places of public religious worship or in congregations associated with religious worship in a public street. Persons sacrificing animals can be imprisoned under this law. The law also prohibits persons from officiating at such animal sacrifices. Such persons can be fined. Animal sacrifice or officiating at an animal sacrifice is a cognizable offence—the accused can be arrested without a warrant.
NO - Aquaculture - Regulation pertaining to Establishing and Expanding Aquaculture Establishments, Pet Shops, etc. § 1 - 13, Regulation pertaining to Establishing and Expanding Aquaculture Establishments, Pet Shops, etc.

The purpose of this regulation is to promote good aquatic animal health and ensure good fish and decapod welfare.

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