Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) provides animal care and control services for 24 partner cities under an Inter-Local Agreement (ILA), as well as in unincorporated areas of the county. On June 30, RASKC reached a major milestone under the agreement, which will automatically extend the current ILA through December 31, 2027.

“I transformed our old animal control agency into RASKC to provide the highest level of humane care and save as many lives as we possibly could – and we have been succeeding in that mission for more than a decade,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “We’ve shown what’s possible when we deliver value for our regional partners, while doing right by the animals in our care, and the people of King County.”

RASKC and its partner cities first teamed up in 2010 with a mission to deliver compassionate, sustainable, and cost effective services to more than one million residents of King County. With help from those city partners, more than 100,000 cats and dogs are licensed with RASKC every year, providing the resources needed for animal care and control, sheltering operations, and pet adoptions.

RASKC partner cities covered by the extension are:

“The lasting alliance we’ve forged with our 24 city partners continues to improve the lives of people and pets in our region,” said RASKC Manager Gene Mueller. “We are grateful for the support from our cities, and the leadership that Executive Constantine has provided RASKC from the very beginning.”

“The City of Kent continues to appreciate its longstanding partnership with RASKC and neighboring cities to meet the needs of people and pets here in King County,” said Derek Matheson, Kent’s chief administrative officer. “We’re happy to have a solid plan to work together for at least another six years.”

RASKC proved its value in 2020, continuing to provide quality service despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Pet adoptions moved to an appointment system in the early days of the pandemic, allowing prospective adopters to better manage their own adoption experience and limit the time they needed to spend at the Pet Adoption Center in close contact with other people. Adopters have praised the change, and RASKC is evaluating whether to continue this service even after all pandemic-related restrictions end.

• While COVID caused a temporary suspension of pet adoptions in the spring of 2020, the numbers roared back in the second half of the year. In total, 2,575 pets were adopted from Regional Animal Services last year, and more than nine out of ten animals that came into care were either adopted, returned to their owner, or placed with other animal organizations for adoption.

• Working with donors, grant funders, and community partners, RASKC set up temporary Mobile Pet Food Banks throughout the region during the COVID crisis. These pop-up events helped families that suffered economic losses during the pandemic to keep their beloved pets. In the last year, the Mobile Pet Food Banks shared more than 31,000 pounds of pet food, kept nearly 3,000 cats and dogs in their homes, and connected nearly 1,200 community residents with ongoing support.

• Foster volunteers played an even more important role than ever during the COVID crisis, providing temporary care in their homes for more than 1,000 animals. This outstanding level of support from volunteers helped avert potential crowding at the Pet Adoption Center and kept adoptable pets healthier and happier in a home environment.

For more information about RASKC, visit kingcounty.gov/pets or follow King County Pets on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more in-depth stories on RASKC’s work, visit the blog, TailsFromRASKC.com.