4-10-070 NONCONFORMING ANIMALS:

A. EXISTING LEGALLY ESTABLISHED ANIMALS:

Those property owners or tenants whose animals complied with the applicable requirements of King County or other applicable animal-related regulations in effect at the time the animals were legally established on the property shall be allowed to keep the number and type of animals and in the same manner under which the animals were kept legally, provided they do not constitute a nuisance under RMC 1-3-3, Nuisances, and comply with the relevant provisions of RMC 4-4-010J and K.

B. ANIMAL REPLACEMENT:

Property owners or tenants who lose a legally established animal shall be allowed to replace the animal with a similar type of animal on the same property, provided the animal does not constitute a nuisance under RMC 1-3-3, Nuisances, and that they comply with the relevant provisions of RMC 4-4-010J and K.

C. NONCONFORMING RIGHTS NOT TRANSFERABLE:

Legal nonconforming rights are not attached to the property and, therefore, are not transferable from one property owner to another with the sale of the property. Exception: There is an exception to the prohibition of transfer only for extra large lot animals in those cases where an optional Additional Animals Permit has been requested and issued and that permit expressly allows the transfer of nonconforming rights to subsequent purchasers.

D. ABANDONMENT:

If the keeping of nonconforming animals is abandoned for a period of one (1) year or more, it shall not thereafter be resumed. (Ord. 4963, 5-13-2002; Ord. 5603, 6-6-2011)