2007 Legislative Session

The 2007 Washington State legislative session adjourned on April 22. PAWS is excited to report legislative gains for both companion and wild animals in Washington State in 2007. Of the bills affecting animals PAWS supported and monitored, below is a snapshot of those which Governor Christine Gregoire singed into law, and those which did not make it through the legislative process in 2007. Also listed below, are resources you can explore to learn more about the legislative process.


WA HB 1418 Protecting consumers from the keeping of dangerous wild animals
PAWS has played an integral role in advocating for regulation against keeping exotic animals since 2001. This year’s legislation introduced by the Humane Society of the United States and Animal Protection Institute—which bans people from possessing and breeding potentially dangerous exotic animals, such as tigers or alligators—has finally become law. Often purchased when they are young and easier to manage, exotic animals may pose a threat to the public as they grow and begin to exert their natural behaviors. Not only do these animals pose a danger in transmitting diseases to humans, local wildlife and livestock, there is also a risk of accidental release into our communities during a natural disaster, or intentional release by the owner when an animal becomes too difficult or expensive to care for. Effective July 22, 2007, Washington State joined 37 other states in our nation that have regulations prohibiting private possession of exotic animals.

PAWS’ position: Support
Status: Signed into law
View more information on HB 1418 and SB 5379.

WA SB 5188 Establishing a wildlife rehabilitation program
This legislation establishes a program to support, financially, the critical role licensed rehabilitators play in caring for sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife in our state. To be eligible for this program, the wildlife rehabilitator must be properly licensed under state and federal law. Wildlife rehabilitators work with thousands of wild species in need—mostly suffering from human-related injuries—and will greatly benefit by more funding to carry out their life-saving work. This law is in effect as of July 22, 2007.

PAWS’ position: Support
Status: Signed into law
View more information on SB 5188.

WA SB 5227 Increasing the penalty for animal abandonment
This legislation defines animal abandonment as the knowing, or reckless desertion of an animal by the animal’s guardian, in any place, without making provisions for the animal’s adequate care. With this law, the penalty for animal abandonment is increased from "misdemeanor" to "gross misdemeanor." This law is in effect as of July 22, 2007.

PAWS’ position: Support
Status: Signed into law
View more information SB 5227.

These bills did not make it far enough through the legislative process in the 2007 session:

WA HB 1105 Homeowner’s insurance
This legislation would protect responsible dog guardians from being penalized simply for sharing their lives with a four-legged friend. This bill seeks to prevent discrimination against guardians based on their dog’s breed. An insurer licensed to write liability insurance—such as homeowner’s insurance—in Washington State would not be allowed to deny, modify, cancel or refuse to renew any application for a homeowner’s insurance policy on the basis that the applicant or insured has a specific breed of dog on the property, unless the dog is a dangerous dog as defined in RCW 16.08.070.

PAWS’ position: PAWS supported original bill, without later amendments
Status: Did not pass the 2007 legislative process
View more information on HB 1105.

WA HB 1400 Excluding common mole and gopher traps from the definition of “body-gripping trap”
This bill was introduced to stop repeated attempts to repeal I-713, which bans the use of leghold traps, other body-gripping traps, and snares for commerce in fur and recreation. Washington voters approved I-713 in 2000, however it has been at risk of being overturned in the legislature ever since. In 2003, a rollback to this trapping ban made it as far as the governor’s office, yet was thankfully vetoed. This legislation allows for a small exemption for traps used to catch gophers and moles and was introduced to reduce the chances of I-713 being overturned in the future.

PAWS’ position: Support
Status: Did not pass the 2007 legislative process
View more information on HB 1400.

WA SB 5066 Concerning animal protection orders
Revised: Concerning protection orders
This legislation would allow the court to grant protection orders directing the care, custody, or control of any animal residing in a household in a domestic violence situation. When there is violence toward a person in a home, there is often also violence toward the animals, and abusers will use the animals to manipulate their human victims. This bill is an important step to helping end the cycle of violence against people and animals alike.

PAWS’ position: Support
Status: Did not pass the 2007 legislative process
View more information on SB 5066.

WA SB 5106 Emergency plans for animals
This legislation is Washington’s “Pets in Disasters” bill, and would require that state and local emergency preparedness plans address the needs of individuals with household pets or service animals in case of an emergency or disaster. It would also allow emergency responders to make attempts to rescue a person’s companion animals should the attempt not endanger human life. Because an estimated 1.5 million households in Washington State share their homes with dogs and cats, it is crucial that our state be prepared. We must not ignore the tragedies of the Gulf Coast Region during Hurricane Katrina, but learn from them and take measures locally. At least 11 other states have already passed similar legislation to complement the federal Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in 2006. As members of both state and county committees on disaster planning for animals, PAWS advocates for mandating plans before disaster strikes.

PAWS’ position: Support
Status: Did not pass the 2007 legislative process
View more information on SB 5106.

Get informed on the official legislative process:
Bookmark the Washington State Legislatures website so you can:

• Review the Washington legislative process.
• Research bill information by tracking current bills, reviewing specific text for bills, and learning how a bill becomes a law.