SEATTLE - With a $56 million deficit looming, King County wants to get out of the animal control business by next summer.

Interim King County Executive Kurt Triplett proposed Thursday that the county stop all funding for Animal Care and Control by June 30.

Two King County council members, Reagan Dunn and Kathy Lambert, joined Triplett in calling for an end to the county's involvement in animal care and control. Dunn said his colleagues on the council would likely also support the plan.

In addition, both candidates to replace Triplett as county executive also have advocated for getting out of the animal control business.

Triplett's proposed budget funds only the first six months of animal control, from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2010.

After that, Triplett said it will be up to the 32 cities that contract with the county for animal services to decide how to care for and control animals.

Triplett also announced that because of flood concerns in the Green River valley, the county will close its animal shelter in Kent on Nov. 1 and send the animals to other shelters. The shelter will stop accepting animals before then, but an exact date has not been set, officials said.

Following Triplett's announcement, the Humane Society of Seattle/King County released a statement which said it had "made a generous offer that includes providing sheltering services for all of the stray and surrendered companion animals in King County who need our help."

CEO Brenda Barnett said the humane society has been discussing the matter with the county "on and off for months and months."

"The Seattle Humane Society shelter could double its dog capacity over night by not offering boarding service. Plans have been drawn up to bring in portable units to handle significantly more cats," she said.

Barnett said she believes the community will help care for the animals that will soon have nowhere to go.

"We're going to need people to volunteer, donate, adopt, foster. But we can solve this problem. We're not going to let the animals go in need," she said.