Washington § 16.30.010 Definitions.

Washington Statutes

§ 16.30.010 — Definitions.

Washington § 16.30.010

Title 16ANIMALS AND LIVESTOCK

Ch. 16.30DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS

This text of Washington § 16.30.010 (Definitions.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Wash. Rev. Code § 16.30.010 (2026).

Text

(1)"Animal control authority" means an entity acting alone or in concert with other local governmental units for enforcement of the animal control laws of the city, county, and state and the shelter and welfare of animals.

(2)"Potentially dangerous wild animal" means one of the following types of animals, whether bred in the wild or in captivity, and any or all hybrids thereof:

(a)Class mammalia

(i)Order carnivora

(A)Family felidae, only lions, tigers, captive-bred cougars, jaguars, cheetahs, leopards, snow leopards, and clouded leopards;

(B)Family canidae, wolves, excluding wolf-hybrids;

(C)Family ursidae, all bears;

(D)Family hyaenidae, such as hyenas;

(ii)Order perissodactyla, only rhinoceroses;

(iii)Order primates, all nonhuman primate species;

(iv)Order proboscida

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(1) "Animal control authority" means an entity acting alone or in concert with other local governmental units for enforcement of the animal control laws of the city, county, and state and the shelter and welfare of animals.

(2) "Potentially dangerous wild animal" means one of the following types of animals, whether bred in the wild or in captivity, and any or all hybrids thereof:

(a) Class mammalia

(i) Order carnivora

(A) Family felidae, only lions, tigers, captive-bred cougars, jaguars, cheetahs, leopards, snow leopards, and clouded leopards;

(B) Family canidae, wolves, excluding wolf-hybrids;

(C) Family ursidae, all bears;

(D) Family hyaenidae, such as hyenas;

(ii) Order perissodactyla, only rhinoceroses;

(iii) Order primates, all nonhuman primate species;

(iv) Order proboscidae, all elephants [elephant] species;

(b) Class reptilia

(i) Order squamata

(A) Family atractaspidae, all species;

(B) Family colubridae, only dispholidus typus;

(C) Family elapidae, all species, such as cobras, mambas, kraits, coral snakes, and Australian tiger snakes;

(D) Family hydrophiidae, all species, such as sea snakes;

(E) Family varanidae, only water monitors and crocodile monitors;

(F) Family viperidae, all species, such as rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, bushmasters, puff adders, and gaboon vipers;

(ii) Order crocodilia, all species, such as crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gavials.

(3) "Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, organization, trade or professional association, firm, limited liability company, joint venture, association, trust, estate, or any other legal entity, and any officer, member, shareholder, director, employee, agent, or representative thereof.

(4) "Possessor" means any person who owns, possesses, keeps, harbors, brings into the state, or has custody or control of a potentially dangerous wild animal.

(5) "Wildlife sanctuary" means a nonprofit organization, as described in RCW 84.36.800 , that cares for animals defined as potentially dangerous and:

(a) No activity that is not inherent to the animal's nature, natural conduct, or the animal in its natural habitat is conducted;

(b) No commercial activity involving an animal occurs including, but not limited to, the sale of or trade in animals, animal parts, animal by-products, or animal offspring, or the sale of photographic opportunities involving an animal, or the use of an animal for any type of entertainment purpose;

(c) No unescorted public visitations or direct contact between the public and an animal; or

(d) No breeding of animals occurs in the facility.