We love our pets here in King County. With some of the highest pet ownership rates in the country, it’s clear our furry (and not-so-furry) companions are a big part of our lives. Whether you’re booking a grooming day for your pup or boarding your pet while you’re away, you want to feel confident they’ll be safe, happy, and healthy while in someone else’s care.
To help you make the best choice, here are some simple tips from Public Health’s Pet Business Program for picking a pet daycare, boarding, or grooming facility.
4 Things to Check When Choosing a Pet Care Facility
Finding the right place for your pet takes a little research, some questions, and maybe a tour. Here’s what to keep in mind.
1. Permits
First things first – make sure the facility has a Public Health permit. In King County, pet businesses (pet daycares, boarding facilities, grooming salons, animal shelters, pet shops, and stores that sell pet food) must be permitted to meet health and safety standards. If they don’t have a permit, that’s a big red flag. You can quickly check this in our online permit portal by filtering for “Pet business”.
2. Health Requirements
Ask the facility about their health requirements for pets. For example, do they require vaccinations and parasite control? What’s their plan if your pet gets sick or injured? Facilities caring for dogs, cats, or ferrets must verify that pets over four months have up-to-date rabies vaccines. If they don’t require this, it’s another red flag.
3. Cleanliness
Take a tour! A good facility should be clean, well-maintained, and free of strong odors. They may not let you into all the animal areas for your safety and for control in the playrooms, but they should have ways for you to observe or learn. If they won’t let you see beyond the lobby, consider it a warning sign.
4. Supervision & Safety
Ask about supervision and staffing.
- How do they handle emergencies?
- How do they manage group play for dogs?
- Will your dog be kenneled most of the day?
If possible, observe a play session to see how it’s monitored—some dogs love groups, while others might need more care to prevent fights or stress.
How Public Health Helps Keep You and Your Pets Safe
Public Health’s Pet Business Program works with local pet businesses to help them deliver the best care for your pet by providing education, technical support, and conducting annual inspections. We inspect and permit over 500 pet businesses in King County, including daycares, boarding facilities, grooming services, pet cafes, shelters, and more.
During inspections, we:
- Check for adequate staffing and supervision.
- Verify rabies vaccinations.
- Inspect rooms, equipment, enclosures for safety. Dogs, especially, can be rough (ruff!) on a facility.
- Review overall facility cleanliness and discuss cleaning and disinfection protocols with staff.
If a facility isn’t meeting the required standards, we work with them to make improvements. However, in rare cases, we may need to suspend a facility’s permit to keep pets and their owners safe.
Stay Informed
Want to stay updated on pet business safety? Check out these resources:
- Alerts: Sign up for notifications when Public Health suspends a pet business permit: Pet business permit suspension email alerts, and find a current list of permit suspensions online: Permit suspension notices.
- Permits: Search our database of permitted pet businesses: Public Health – Environmental Health Permit (filter for “Pet business”).
- Health Tips: Learn how to stay healthy around pets: Zoonotic Diseases: Information for Pet Owners.
- Sign up for the Pet Business Program newsletter: Sign up to get info about pet business regulations, trends, and educational materials: Pet Business Program newsletter.
Originally published 3/18/25.