Saturday, January 1, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m.

Consumer Guide

Animal welfare and rescue

Index

Seattle Animal Control
Adoptions, redemptions of lost pets, stray-animal drop-offs as well as information on a wide variety of topics, including off-leash areas, nuisance pets and noise ordinances.
206-386-PETS (7387). Pet licensing, 206-386-4262. Spay-neuter clinic, 206-386-4260
2061 15th Ave. W.
www.cityofseattle.net/animalshelter/

King County Animal Shelter Information Line
Takes complaints, handles strays, adoptions and spay-neuter services. King County also runs the Bellevue and Kent agencies.
206-296-PETS (7387). Pet licensing, 206-296-2712

Eastside Pet Adoption Center Bellevue/Crossroads
821 164th Ave. N.E., Bellevue
206-296-3940

Kent Animal Control Shelter
21615 64th Ave. S.
206-296-3946
www.metrokc.gov/services.htm#animal

The Humane Society for Seattle/King County
Adoptions, spay-neuter clinic, pet licenses, microchipping for King County, Seattle and Renton. Provides other services including dog-training classes, pet-loss support groups and community education.
13212 S.E. Eastgate Way, Bellevue
425-641-0080. Call 425-649-7566 for the pet-food bank, which provides pet food for low-income seniors, and the Pet Project, which supplies pet food, veterinary and grooming services monthly to low-income AIDS patients.
Humane Society's Public Boarding Kennel: 425-643-5960.
www.seattlehumane.org

The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County operates the William Gazecki Animal Shelter
Provides adoption services, including spay and neutering; investigates reports of animal cruelty; and conducts community-outreach programs.
2608 Center Street, Tacoma
253-383-2733. Lost-pets information line: dogs, 253-596-8561; cats, 253-596-8989.
www.thehumanesociety.org/

Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
A nonprofit organization. Adoption services for dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.
15305 44th Ave. W., Lynnwood
425-787-2500. Adoption information lines: dogs, ext. 442; cats, ext. 443; rabbits/guinea pigs, ext. 438.
www.paws.org

Other animal-assistance groups

Cat Purebred Rescue
Rescues purebred cats from Seattle-area shelters and finds homes for them.
206-782-2616 message line.
www.catpurebredrescue.org/

Meow Cat Rescue
A nonprofit rescue-and-adoption agency for cats and kittens.
10600 NE 68th, Suite F, Kirkland
425-822-MEOW (6309)
www.meowcatrescue.org/

Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue
A nonprofit organization, accepts purebred dogs from private homes and area shelters for placement in adoptive homes. Also can give advice on dog problems, and on suitable breeds for specific situations.
206-654-1117
www.spdrdogs.org/

For help with wild animals

Sarvey Wildlife Care Center
A nonprofit group in Arlington that rehabilitates orphaned and injured wildlife. In most cases you must deliver animal to the center.
360-435-4817
www.sarveywildlife.org

State Department of Fish and Wildlife
Can help when wildlife such as cougars, bears, bobcats, deer, elk and moose have strayed onto private property. For assistance with animals such as raccoons and possums, the department refers callers to private contractors who charge to dispose of the animals.
425-775-1311
wdfw.wa.gov

Veterinarians

To see if a veterinarian is licensed or to file a complaint, contact the State Department of Health, Health Professions Quality Assurance. The board accepts written complaints regarding licensed veterinarians; it accepts complaints about pet stores only if the retailer has a licensed veterinarian on duty. Call customer service for a complaint form.
P.O. Box 47865, Olympia, WA 98504-7868
360-236-4800
www.doh.wa.gov/licensing.htm to check licensing information

Complaints about pet stores without veterinarians should be made to:
Office of the Attorney General
900 Fourth Ave., Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98164-1012
206-464-6684; outside Seattle, 800-551-4636
www.atg.wa.gov

Better Business Bureau Serving Oregon and Western Washington
P.O. Box 1000, DuPont, WA 98327
206-431-2222
www.thebbb.org

Autos, dealer complaints and safety

Index

Lemons
If you buy a new vehicle that turns out to be a "lemon" — it is unsafe, unreliable or has problems that diminish its resale value — contact the state Attorney General's Office of Lemon Law Administration. Your vehicle may be replaced or repurchased. The lemon law covers cars, trucks, motor homes, large motorcycles and "demonstrators" purchased or leased and registered in the state of Washington.

You can request an arbitration under the Lemon Law at any time within 30 months of the vehicle's original retail delivery date, and you do not have to be the original owner to qualify. The service is free because consumers pay for this program through a $3 fee collected when buying or leasing new vehicles. Also ask the Attorney General's office for a brochure on the auto-repair law.
Lemon Law Administration, State Attorney General's Office, 900 Fourth Ave., Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98164
206-587-4240 in Seattle; 800-541-8898 elsewhere
www.atg.wa.gov/consumer/lemon/index.shtml

Dealers, manufacturers
Just purchased a vehicle and the transaction was less than ideal? The state Department of Licensing can help with issues such as incomplete disclosures in advertising, problems with processing the vehicle title, failure to honor warranties, misrepresenting financing or terms of the sale. The agency also investigates complaints against unlicensed dealers.

For Clallam, Island, Jefferson, King (except the cities of Auburn, Enumclaw, and Federal Way), San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish or Whatcom counties, write the state Department of Licensing, Dealers and Manufacturers Division in Seattle:
320 N. 85th St., Seattle, WA 98103
206-706-4255. For other locations, call 360-664-6466
www.dol.wa.gov/vs/dl-loc.htm

Council of Better Business Bureaus
Offers free mediation and arbitration for alleged manufacturing defects for many auto manufacturers through its Autoline program.
800-955-5100
www.dr.bbb.org/autoline/

For safety and recall information on cars, trucks, school buses and child car seats, or to file a complaint regarding a safety problem, contact the U.S. Department of Transportation's auto-safety hotline, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 888-327-4236, or locally, 206-220-7640. Or write the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, Office of Defects and Investigation, NSA-10.01:
400 Seventh St. S.W., Washington, DC 20590
www.nhtsa.dot.gov: Go to "Recalls"

The Center for Auto Safety
A nonprofit organization that deals in safety problems and defects, improving vehicle quality and "green" cars. For more information, include a self-addressed, 55-cent stamped, business-size envelope. If you're asking about a defect, state make, model and year of the vehicle and describe the problem.
1825 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 330, Washington, DC 20009-5708
202-328-7700
www.autosafety.org