Do you know a Lab called Bella? Or perhaps a domestic shorthair cat named Luna? If you live in the Regional Animal Services of King County service area, it’s quite likely! Those were the top breed and name in 2021 for licensed dogs and cats respectively. Every year, RASKC partners with King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn to compile “Top Ten” lists of the most popular names and breeds.

As anyone can see in the two name lists, there is a lot of overlap. Luna, Lucy, Bella, Charlie, and Max are all popular names for both dogs and cats. Luna in particular has been quickly moving up in popularity for dogs, as it was the number-one name of newly-licensed dogs in 2021. Luna has always been a popular name for cats in King County.

For canines, the Lab is far and away the number one breed in King County. There are 16,327 licensed Labs to just 6,255 licensed Chihuahuas, the second place dog breed.

It’s an even bigger gap for cats. There are 27,746 Domestic Shorthairs licensed with King County to just 6,025 licensed Domestic Mediumhairs – more than four times as many!

In total, there are more than 93,000 pets currently licensed with Regional Animal Services. License fees help support the services we provide, including animal sheltering, pet adoptions, and investigating animal cruelty. There are many benefits to you for having a licensed pet. For one, pets with a license are far more likely to be safely returned to their owner if they get lost. Licensing brings other benefits like Vacation Pet Alert, Free Ride Home, and more. Visit our pet licensing page at kingcounty.gov/LicenseMyPet for information.