Animal Control

Lost, Found, or Stray Dogs

Since the retirement of former Officer Maynard Hoffer, all of the department’s officers are involved on an ad hoc basis with animal control enforcement.

The following procedure occurs when a lost or stray dog is impounded by animal control.

1) Whenever possible an attempt will be made to locate and return the dog to its owner. If the animal is allowed to constantly run at large after the owner has been warned and/or issued a citation previously, the dog will be transported to the Animal Clinic of Walla Walla, which is located at 2089 Taumarson Road in College Place. Their telephone number is (509) 525-6111.

2) To secure the release of your dog the owner will need to come to the College Place Police Department, 625 South College Avenue, during business hours (8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. An impound fee of $10.00 will be assessed and if the dog does not have a current license, the owner is required to purchase one. The license requirement applies to College Place residents only; however a county resident can license their animal with the College Place Police Department, should they desire to do so. A receipt will be issued which the owner will present to the animal clinic. Lodging fees must be paid to the clinic prior to taking reposession of the dog.

3) The police department highly recommends that any College Place Resident losing a pet, whether a dog, cat, or any other domestic animal, contact not only the College Place Police Department at (509) 525-7773 but also the Humane Society at (509) 525-2452 and/or the Save Wonderful Animals Team (SWAT) at (509) 522-5050 if College Place Police has not picked up the animal. Other local animal clinics in Walla Walla County should also be contacted by owners of lost pets.

4) Please remember that if an animal is taken to the animal clinic and is not claimed and no person is willing to adopt the animal, it may be euthanized at the conclusion of the third day.

S.W.A.T. is a charitable, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to reducing the overpopulation of companion animals in Walla Walla County. One of the goals of S.W.A.T. is to find permanent homes for stray and surrendered companion animals, preventing the surrender of these animals to high kill shelters, and to provide affordable sterilized pets for the community.

Dog License Procedure

College Place Municipal code 6.04.030 requires licensing of a dog over six months of age that resides within the city limits. The fee to obtain a College Place dog license is $5.00 if the dog is altered (spayed/neutered). If the dog is in tact, the license fee is $10.00. You will be asked to provide proof of current rabies vaccination and proof the dog has been altered. The license is good for the calendar year. The information we obtain will help us locate the dog’s owner if the dog is lost and subsequently found; it also enables us to verify, without delay, that the dog is current on rabies vaccinations if there is report of a dog bite involving your dog.

City ordinance 17.54.020 provides a Table of Minimum Standards for animals, and states, “No more than 3 dogs or cats, or any combination thereof, four months of age or older, shall be permitted per dwelling unit”.

At the present time, the city of College Place does not license cats.

The College Place Municipal Code is now available online. Please click here to be redirected to the code website to learn more about the regulation of dogs within the City limits.