Surface Water Management Division

Snohomish County's Dog Population

How many dogs are there?

There is no doggie census, and many people do not license their dogs, so there are no hard numbers indicating Snohomish County's dog population. Instead, we estimate dog populations based on the best available research.

Research conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association shows that 37.4 percent of Washington State households own dogs, with an average of 1.5 dogs per dog-owning household.

That means just over 84,000 Snohomish County households own dogs, based on U.S. Census 2000 data.  At 1.5 dogs per household, we estimate the Snohomish County dog population at more than 126,000 dogs. 

How much waste do they produce?

At an estimated rate of 0.33 pounds of solid waste produced daily per dog, the estimated daily production of dog waste in Snohomish County is 41,600 pounds per day.  That's more than twenty tons per day!

Based on body weight, we estimate the countywide dog population to roughly equivalent to a human population of 32,400.

 

Back to Pet Waste