15-05-2025
A 3-pet limit? Who knew?
May 15—A Clarkston woman said she was shocked to learn she was breaking the law by having four dogs in her fenced yard.
Beverli Lounsbury, who lives on the 800 block of Third Street, received a $1,540 citation after city police received a complaint about the number of dogs at her house.
The city of Clarkston has a three-pet limit on the books, which includes cats and dogs and applies regardless of the combination of species the owner may have.
However, Lounsbury's ticket was issued because three of her dogs were not licensed and two were not up-to-date on their vaccinations. She was given several weeks to find a new home for the fourth dog, which she was fostering.
Ben, a large, fluffy Pyrenees, is now in "doggie jail" at Riverview Animal Clinic, said Lounsbury, who is employed at the veterinarian clinic, and the other three — Carmelita, Axel and Merx — remain at home.
"I went to City Hall and got them licensed that day," said the 37-year-old dog owner. "I had no idea about the city's dog-licensing laws and three-pet limit. I was fostering the fourth dog, and now he's at the clinic. Ben hates being in jail. Just like a person, he's bored and lonely behind bars."
Lounsbury recently attended a Clarkston City Council meeting to ask the city to reconsider its three-pet ordinance. It's making residents afraid to foster animals inside city limits, she said, and many dogs and cats desperately need temporary care until permanent homes can be found. Otherwise, they end up being dumped in rural areas or euthanized.
Councilor Skate Pierce recently reviewed the dog licensing and pet-limit laws and does not believe the city's ordinance should be updated at this time. Similar regulations are used in other jurisdictions, and citations are entirely complaint-driven, primarily for smell and barking issues, Pierce told the council.
Pets under the age of four months are not included in the three-per-household limit, so a new batch of kittens or puppies wouldn't trigger a ticket. A kennel-licensing option is only available in heavy, industrial zones, such as the port area.
The three-pet rule was established a decade or so ago because of hoarding issues, officials said.
Inside Clarkston city limits, it is unlawful to have any livestock, such as horses, mules, sheep, cattle, goats, rabbits, pigs, ducks or geese. Six backyard chickens are OK.
"I was fostering Ben because he was about to be euthanized for killing a chicken," Lounsbury said. "He got along well with our other dogs, and they are all healthy and well cared for. We are really hoping to find a good home for Ben with someone who will not give not up on him. We fell in love with him."
Abandoned pets are a human problem and not the fault of the animals, she said.
"People sign up for the responsibility, but when push comes to shove in a hard time, they surrender their pets or try to have them euthanized for behavior issues that could be fixed through proper training."
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Lounsbury said animal lovers and potential foster families were alarmed to learn about the three-pet limit in Clarkston. Most would jump through any hoops to obtain a kennel license, if that were an option, she said.
"We're willing to pay a fee, but we feel like the city won't work with us," Lounsbury said. "Animals can't speak. We as people need to stand up and speak about this. We would pay more to do the right thing."
The number of pets allowed per household varies throughout the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. The city of Lewiston, unincorporated Asotin County, and the city of Asotin don't have limits on cats, but all three have dog rules.
In Asotin County, each household can have as many as four dogs. People who have five or more dogs are required to get a hobby or kennel license, said Ed Holbert, code enforcement officer for the Asotin County Sheriff's Office. Breeders need a commercial kennel license, and those operations are subject to inspection.
Dogs in the unincorporated residential areas of the county are required to be licensed after the age of six months. A lifetime license for spayed or neutered canines is $25, and tags for dogs who are intact are $25 per year. All dogs need to have a collar with the Asotin County license attached, Holbert said.
"That way, if a dog gets out, we can return it to the owner by looking up the tag, instead of taking it to the Lewis-Clark Animal Shelter," Holbert said.
Dog licenses can be purchased at the sheriff's office in Asotin or the Clarkston Veterinary Clinic on Peaslee Avenue.
Inside Asotin's city limits, the number of dogs per household is also limited to four, said Police Chief Monte Renzelman. A kennel license, which is $50 per year, is required for five or more.
Neutered or spayed dogs in Asotin require an annual tag that costs $8, or a lifetime license for $25. Licenses, which are available at City Hall, run $25 a year for dogs that are not fixed.
Although there's no law specifying the number of household cats inside Asotin, residents are not allowed to drop off or feed strays, Renzelman said.
Across the Snake River in Idaho, there's a five-dog limit for folks who live in Lewiston, said Animal Control Officer Doug Willey. However, enforcement is rarely an issue.
If a resident exceeds the dog limit, it's usually because of an unexpected litter of puppies. Willey said he works with dog owners to help find homes for the pups.
More information about dog and cat rules can be found online on websites for each city and county in the region or by calling local officials.
"It can be hard to find the rules," Lounsbury said. "I didn't know about Clarkston's until the code enforcement officer showed up at our house."
Sandaine can be reached at kerris@
