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After two fires at dog daycare businesses in Seattle, one of which resulted in the death of at least one dog, lawmakers in Olympia are pushing for safety changes within the pet boarding industry.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – After two fires at dog daycare businesses in Seattle, one of which resulted in the death of at least one dog, lawmakers in Olympia are pushing for safety changes within the pet boarding industry.
Part of the proposed bill (HB 2403) would make fire alarms or sprinklers mandatory at all facilities where pets are kept.
The bill, originally proposed by State Rep. Darya Farivar, is meant to protect pets while they are being boarded at an area business.
Farivar, a Democrat who represents Washington’s 46th Legislative District, started looking into rules and regulations of dog daycare and boarding facilities after Seattle’s Dog Resort locations caught fire in the span of nine months.
On Feb. 1, 2023, a fire tore through The Dog Resort in Lake City where more than 100 dogs escaped. Luckily, no humans or dogs were injured.
The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) ruled the fire was accidental and started by the dryer. According to a fire inspection reporter from SFD, employees at The Dog Resort said a fire had happened several times in the past, but that they were able to control the flame before it spread.
The latest fire happened in November of 2023. This time, it was the SODO facility that went up in flames. In this case, a dog named Georgie ran from the fire at the facility and was killed on I-5. Another dog named North also ran from the facility and was believed to be killed on the same stretch of road.
The cause of November’s fire remains under investigation.
House Bill 2403 hopes to stop fires like these from occurring. It would require dog and cat kennels to have a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers.
The bill calls for fire suppression systems to automatically notify emergency responders when activated. A fire inspector would also be required to make sure kennels have those systems in place so that they can get or keep a business license with the state’s Department of Revenue.
"I feel like they get it," said dog mom Allison Scarborough. "I could not be more excited about the potential of this bill."
Scarborough was Georgie’s owner. Her other dog, Remi, also escaped the facility but survived, despite serious injuries.
Since the fire, she’s been pushing for increased safety standards at kennels and boarding facilities. Scarborough sees the proposed bill as a step in the right direction.
"There’s also an aspect of transparency with the bill," she said.
The proposed legislation would require businesses to notify customers if the kennel has had its license revoked or suspended. It would also be required to post the information in a space easily visible to customers.
"If you have no violations that you have to put out to the public and you don’t have a suspended license that you have to disclose, that’s a bragging right," she said. "That an asset for a business."
And that’s what pet owners involved with The Dog Resort fires want: a better pet boarding industry, where the bar is raised and pets are better protected.
The proposed bill will have a public hearing in the House Committee on Tuesday. It will also have a public hearing in the House Committee on Local Government on the same day.
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