Complaint Review: State Laws Regulating Animal Care - Michigan

An animal rescuer friend of mine forwarded the following information. I encourage everyone concerned about animal welfare check the laws in your own state and any state where you might go to get an animal:

"Michigan law regulating pet shops and animal shelters dates back over thirty years. The statutes, Public Act 287 of 1969 (as amended) and the companion regulation 151, are specific to the types of operations that

existed at that time.

Facilities operating in compliance with these statutes are expected to be solidly built and easy to clean, disinfect, and maintain. Because of these expectations and because animal shelters are typically underfunded,

shelters are usually simple structures constructed of concrete, concrete block and tile; poorly heated and rarely cooled; marginally and often inadequately drained and ventilated; small, isolated and understaffed.

Additionally, the primary role of animal shelters for animal control has been removing dogs from the street and ensuring rabies control through dog licensing; placement of animals into permanent adoptive homes is

secondary to these statutory obligations.

Concerned citizens, recognizing the limitations of existing shelters and inspired by greater awareness of pet overpopulation, have responded by creating home-based companion animal rescue organizations. These

organizations are typically made up of a network of volunteers who take rescue animals into their homes until a permanent adopter is found. Communities have responded with support for these organizations as

a means to improve an individual animal's chance of staying alive as a family pet. The Department supports these goals."

I serve on the Michigan Dept of Ag Companion Animal Advisory Committee and we are currently working to update Act 287. We've broken down the definitions of:

' "Animal Protection Shelter" means a facility used to house animals and that is owned, operated, or maintained by a non-governmental entity including, but not limited to, a humane society, animal welfare organization, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals or any

other organization that finds or provided placement or other disposition for such animals."

"Animal Control Shelter" means a facility operated by a municipality for the impoundment, care, placement, or other disposition of animals that are found in the street or at large, animals that are otherwise held due

to the violation of a municipal ordinance or state law, or animals that are surrendered to the animal control shelter.

"Animal Placement Group" means any person or entity who boards and/or houses animals in one or more foster homes in order to find or provide placement or other disposition for such animals. A person who breeds

his or her own animals and places the offspring of these breedings in a foster home is not an animal placement group.

"Foster Home" means a person or entity providing care and/or rehabilitation for animals under an agreement with an animal protection shelter, an animal control shelter, or an animal placement group.'

I'd like to add the model we are using to update Michigan's current law is the Colorado's Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act.

Written by: Dr. Steve Halstead, Companion Animal and Equine Species Program Manager Veterinarian with the Michigan Department of Agriculture Animal Industry

Division dated February 28, 2003.

S.n.

Bucyrus, Kansas
U.S.A.