Washington

Summary: Dog owner brought claims of professional negligence, negligent misrepresentation, lack of informed consent, reckless breach of a bailment contract, and emotional distress after her golder retriever, Bear, died following a routine neutering procedure. After the surgery, Bear was bloated and vomiting, and the owner alleged that the animal hospital failed to properly inform her of his condition. As a result, the owner treated Bear with a homeopathic remedy instead of the prescription medication given to her by the hospital and Bear's condition worsened and eventually caused his death.

Summary: This Washington law provides that the use of "coyote getters" is not a violation of law when their use is authorized by the state department of agriculture and/or the state department of fish and wildlife in cooperative programs with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose must be to control or eliminate coyotes that are harmful to livestock or game animals.

Summary: This Washington law states that the department shall permit the release of wild beavers on public and private lands with agreement from the property owner under specified conditions.

Summary: These two Washington laws deal with the unauthorized feeding of large wild carnivores. A person may not negligently feed or attempt to feed large wild carnivores or negligently attract large wild carnivores to land or a building. If a person who is issued a written warning fails to contain, move, or remove the food, food waste, or other substance as directed, the person commits an infraction under chapter 7.84 RCW.

Summary: Under this Washington statute, it is unlawful to trade in shark fins, with exceptions. A person is guilty in the second degree (gross misdemeanor) if s/he sells, purchases, or processes a shark fin for commercial purposes. A person is guilty of unlawful trade in shark fins in the first degree (class C felony) if the act involves shark fins with a total market value of $250 or more, or acted with knowledge that the shark fin originated from a shark that was illegally caught.

Summary: Under this Washington statute, it is unlawful to feed, intercept, or approach within three hundred feet of a southern resident orca whale, with exceptions. A violation is a natural resource infraction and carries a fine of five hundred dollars, not including statutory assessments added pursuant to RCW 3.62.090.

Summary: This Washington statute pertains to unlawful trafficking in fish, shellfish, and wildlife. A person is guilty of unlawful trafficking in the second degree if s/he traffics in such animals with a wholesale value of less than $250 and the animals are unclassified or classified as game, food fish, shellfish, game fish, or protected wildlife. Unlawful trafficking in the first degree occurs when the animals have a value of $250 or more or the animals are classified as endangered or deleterious exotic wildlife.

Summary: Under this Washington statute, a person is guilty of unlawfully releasing, planting, possessing, or placing fish, shellfish, or wildlife (gross misdemeanor) if the person knowingly releases such animals within the state, and the animals have not been classified as deleterious wildlife. A person is guilty of unlawfully releasing, planting, possessing, or placing deleterious exotic wildlife (class C felony) if the person knowingly releases animals classified as deleterious.

Summary: This set of laws represents Washington's hunter harassment provisions. Under the section, a person is guilty of obstructing the taking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife if the person harasses, drives, or disturbs fish, shellfish, or wildlife with the intent of disrupting lawful pursuit or taking, or if the person harasses, intimidates, or interferes with an individual engaged in the lawful taking. Violation is a gross misdemeanor.

Summary: This set of Washington laws describes unlawful trapping. A person is guilty of misdemeanor unlawful trapping if the person sets out traps without the necessary licenses or permits; violates any rule on seasons or bag limits; or fails to identify the owner of the traps or devices with a tag or inscription. The director may revoke the trapper's license of a person placing unauthorized traps on private property and may remove those traps. It is unlawful to use or authorize the use of any steel-jawed leghold trap, neck snare, or other body-gripping trap to capture any mammal for recreation or commerce in fur except as provided in Section 77.15.194.