Animal Control

Two full-time Animal Control Officers cover Lakewood, DuPont, and Steilacoom. They respond to aggressive dogs and injured, stray, or lost animals. This includes barking dog complaints and dead animal removal. They are also responsible for responding to animal cruelty reports and pet shop/kennel inspections.

If you need Animal Control Assistance:

For emergencies involving immediate threats to public safety or injured animals, call 911.

Injured, Lost, or Stray Animals
Public Safety and Complaints
Licensing and Resources

Injured, Lost, or Stray Animals

Injured Animals:
Report injured animals using the Animal Control Hotline: (253) 830-5010. After normal service hours, call 911.

Lost Animals:
If your pet is lost or missing, contact us for assistance. We contract with the Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society for shelter care; look under the lost and found link.

Wildlife:
Animal Control officers will only respond to private property for sick, injured, or dead wildlife. For any other needs, please visit Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Stray Animals:
Animal Control Officers will pick up stray animals. Pick-ups must be completed by 3:30 p.m. in order to transport them to the animal shelter for admittance. If you are able to safely transport non-aggressive animals, you may bring them to:

Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society Shelter.
2608 Center St. Tacoma, Wa 98409
(253) 383-2733.

You may also request a Stray Animal Patrol if there is a specific issue. Please provide the description of the animal and owner information if known.


Public Safety and Complaints

Threats to Public Safety:

  • Dogs running loose that have bitten a human
  • Vicious or scared dogs running in traffic or neighborhoods
  • Loose horses or livestock roaming in traffic

If you see any of these things, call the Animal Control Hotline: (253) 830-5010.
If it is an emergency, call 911.

Complaints:
An area patrol may be called for aggressive dogs. A dog that has bitten a human must be captured and appropriately quarantined for 10 days. For civil or criminal penalties, a formal complaint signed by a witness must be submitted. Complaints can be submitted for dog bites, animal abuse, or general problems (trespassing). Complaints must include:

  • Animal owner’s name, address, and phone number
  • A description of the incident. This must include any animals involved, the location, and the time and date of the incident.

Barking Dog Complaints:
Barking dog complaints are handled through a petition process. This requires at least three complaining parties with dates, times, and duration of the barking. Complaints must also contain a description of the dog, the owner’s name, phone number, and address.

When a complaint is made, a petition packet with instructions and three statement forms is mailed to whoever made the complaint. You must fill out the packet and send it to Animal Control. An officer will then contact the owner of the barking dog and issue a warning.

After this, future complaints may result in a declaration of noise nuisance. This could result in civil and/or criminal penalties. A nuisance animal may be required to be removed from the City.

File Complaints:
Complaints can be filed in person with an Animal Control officer at your home, by dropping your statement at City Hall, or by mail. Click the button below to fill out complaint forms and mail them to the following address.

Lakewood Animal Control
9401 Lakewood Drive SW
Lakewood, WA 98499.


Licensing and Resources

Animal Licensing:
The City of Lakewood requires all dogs and cats in the City over eight weeks old to be licensed. All licenses (no matter what time of year initially purchased) expire on December 31 and must be renewed by February 28.

For more information, visit our Animal Licensing page.

Low-Cost Spay and Neuter:
If you need financial help spaying or neutering your cat, dog, or rabbit, you can apply for this low-cost spay/neuter program. To qualify, you must be a low-income resident of Pierce County. You can apply here: Pierce County Low-Cost Spay and Neuter