December 20, 2018Policy Report

Case Study: Seattle

Seattle Tests Low-Cost Intervention to Increase Pet License Renewals

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The Seattle Animal Shelter was experiencing a leveling off in the number of pet licenses and renewals in recent years. Data indicated that roughly 3,000 pet licenses were expiring every month, and even after accounting for the move out rate of residents, only 60% of licenses were being renewed. Pet licensing is required by the Seattle Municipal Code and the money generated from pet licenses accounts for nearly $1.5 million in annual revenue, all of which goes directly to fund the Seattle Animal Shelter. Seattle Animal Shelter staff sought to increase renewals of pet licenses across Seattle to ensure compliance and help fund their critical operations.