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The Michigan state animal laws are a mixed breed.  Many of them have to do with technicalities about licensing and dogs attacking livestock, and have little relationahip to the average animal. Some laws, like the Michigan Penal Code, are very good for animals and set excellent standards for proper animal care.  Some laws, like the Michigan Health Code, are not good for impounded or sheltered animals because they permit amateurs to euthanize animals, which is  the unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine; a Michigan Animal Control Shelter without an imaginative and progressive staff is little more than a Capture-and-Kill facility under the provisions of the Michigan Health Code and the lackluster leadership of the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

The State of Michigan basically has very little to do with the actual day-to-day lives of our animals.  The legislature has essentially turned animal care and welfare over to the counties, townships, cities and villages.  As a result, there are huge differences in different parts of the state.

One thing that seems to be fairly uniform is the reticence of Animal Control agencies and other law enforcement agencies to deal with unlicensed animal owners who are breeding and abandoning animals.  It's so much easier work to pick up homeless animals and impound them and destroy them than it is to go face-to-face with vocal and rude violators of ordinances and laws.  We are still waiting for someone to give us documentation of a county where more enforcement time is spent controlling the licensing than is spent impounding homeless and helpless domestic animals.

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Here are all Michigan Compiled Laws in Chapter 287; the ones related to Domestic Animals are bolded and linked.  There are gaps because of entire sections having been repealed over a period of 90 years. The best way to see the entire chapter, or to look up provisions in fine detail, is by using the full resources of the Michigan Legislature at  www.legislature.mi.gov/

(287.111 - 287.119)  HORSE RIDING STABLES AND SALES BARNS
(287.121 - 287.131)  LICENSING LIVESTOCK DEALERS
(287.141 - 287.150)  LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY REMEDIES
(287.171 - 287.175)  STARTED PULLETS
(287.201 - 287.210)  BREEDING OF HORSES
(287.221 - 287.223)  BRANDING LIVESTOCK
(287.251 - 287.258)  DISPOSAL OF LIVESTOCK

287.261 Short title; definitions for 1919 Act 339, the "dog act of 1919".
287.262 Dogs; licensing, tags, leashes.
287.264 Supervision and enforcement.  "The state livestock sanitary commission (now the Michigan Department of Agriculture) shall have the general supervision over the licensing and regulation of dogs and the protection of livestock and poultry from dogs, and may employ all proper means for the enforcement of this act and all police officers of the state, county, municipality or township shall be at its disposal for that purpose ..."
287.265 Tags, blanks and license forms.
287.266 Dog licenses; application; resolution; provisions; proof of vaccination.
287.267 Dog license; tag, approval; kept on dog.
287.268 Dog license; unlicensed and young dogs; application; fee after certain date.
287.269 Dog license; contents.
287.269a Production of proof of license.
287.270 "Kennel" defined; kennel license; fee; tags; certificate, rules, inspection, exception.
287.270b Kennel licensing ordinance.
287.271 Rules regarding kennel dogs.
287.272. Lost Tags.
287.273 License and tag; transferability.
287.274 Application for license blanks and tags; issuance of dog licenses and tags; fee; return of unused tags, books, and receipts; contents of receipt; paying over money; resolution providing that clerk perform duties of treasurer.
287.274a Issuance of dog license; information to be provided to dog owner, definitions.
287.285 County treasurer's record; inspection.
287.286 Listing of dogs; compensation of supervisor;  appointment, duties and compensation of animal control officer.
287.277 Identification and location of unlicensed dogs; public nuisance; list; commencement of proceedings; duties of sheriff; nonfeasance in office.
287.278 Killing of dog molesting wildlife.
287.279 Killing of dog pursuing, worrying, or wounding livestock or poultry; or attacking person; damage for trespass; effect of license tag.
287.279a Killing dog or other animal; use of high altitude decompression chamber or electrocution prohibited.
287.280   Loss or damage to livestock or poultry caused by dogs;complaint; examination; summons; proceedings; killing of dog; liability of owner or keeper.
287.281  Report of examination.
287.282  Damage to livestock or poultry by dogs; fees of justice; inclusion in damages.
287.283 Payment for amount of loss or damage; costs; investigation.
287.284  Board of county aufitors; duties.
287.285 Saving clause; disposition of dog fund; expense of dog department in cities, payment.
287.286 Penalties; disposition of fines.
287.286a Sworn complaint; contents; issuance of summons; hearing; order; penalty for disobedience; costs; audit and payment of claims.
287.286b Penalty for stealing or confining licensed dog.
287.287 Recovery of value of dog illegally killed.
287.288 Common law liability
287.289 Dogs imported temporarily
287.289a Animal control agency; establishment; employees; jurisdiction; contents of animal control ordinance.  The board of county commissioners by ordinance may establish an animal control agency which shall employ at least 1 animal control officer. The board of county commissioners may assign the animal control agency to any existing county department. The animal control agency shall have jurisdiction to enforce this act in any city, village or township which does not have an animal control ordinance ...
287.289b County animal control officers; employment standards.
287.289c Municipal animal control officers; employment standards.
287.290 Municipal animal control ordinances; certificate of vacination.
287.291  Guide, leader, hearing, or service dogs not subject to licensing fee; definitions.
287.301  Dogs; tattooing of serial number; application, fee.
287.302  Dogs; assignment of title; filing; issuance of title to purchaser.
287.303  Identification certificate; issuance to owner.
287.304  Record of dog and owner kept by commissioner of agriculture.
287.305  Lost dog; finder entitled to fee for keeping.
277.306  Fees credited to general fund.
287.307  Fees credited to general fund.
287.308  Stealing or holding dog in possession; penalty.
(287.311 - 287.314)  TURTLES
287.321 Dangerous animals; definitions.
287.322  Sworn complaint; summons; surrender of animal; expense; rabies vaccination and license required; destruction of animal; notification of animal control authority; ordering owner of animals to take certain actions.
287.323  Owner guilty of involuntary manslaughter, felony, or misdemeanor; penalty; costs.
287.331  PET SHOPS, DOG POUNDS, AND ANIMAL SHELTERS; definitions.
287.332  Rules; promulgation.
287.333  License required.
287.334  Application for pet shop licenses; fee; deposit; filing of completed license application; report; "completed application" defined.
287.335  Inspection of pet shop premises.
287.335a  Prohibited conduct.
287.336 Animal control shelter; registration.
287.337 Animal control shelter or animal protection shelter; registration application; forms.
287.338 Animal control shelter or animal protection shelter; inspection; compliance.
287.338a  Animal control shelter or animal protection shelter; alteration of dog, cat, or ferret.
287.339 Animal breeders and animal researchers; applicability of act.
287.339b Violation of act or rule; sanctions; court action or order.
287.340 Violations; penalty.
287.351 Person bitten by dog; liability of owner.
(287.381 - 287.395)  USE OF DOGS AND CATS FOR RESEARCH
(287.521 - 287.535)  MICHIGAN COMMERCIAL FEED LAW
(287.551 - 287.556)  HUMANE SLAUGHTER OF LIVESTOCK
(287.571 - 287.582)  SLAUGHTERHOUSES; EDIBLE RENDERING, WHOLESALE FABRICATING, PROCESSING, OR STORAGE ESTABLISHMENTS
(287.601 - 287.610)  BEEF INDUSTRY COMMISSION ACT
(287.651 - 287.683)  BODIES OF DEAD ANIMALS
(287.701 - 287.747)  ANIMAL INDUSTRY ACT
(287.801 - 287.859)  PSEUDORABIES AND SWINE BRUCELLOSIS CONTROL AND ERADICATION ACT
(287.891 - 287.901)  FERRETS
(287.951 - 287.969)  PRIVATELY OWNED CERVIDAE (DEER) PRODUCERS MARKETING ACT
(287.981 - 287.981)  EXECUTIVE REORGANIZATION ORDER
287.991 - 287.997  ANIMAL WELFARE FUND ACT
(287.1001 - 287.1023)  WOLF-DOG CROSS ACT
(287.1101 - 287.1123)  LARGE CARNIVORE ACT

There are also other sections of Michigan Law that have a direct bearing on animal welfare, Michigan Public Health Code acts such as MCL 333.7333; and the Michigan Penal Code acts such as MCL 750.49 and especially MCL 750.50.











In the State of Michigan, "Animal Control" has its roots in a venerable piece of legislation called the "Dog Law of 1919", or
Act 339 of 1919.  Its original purpose was the "protection of live stock and poultry from damage by dogs" and the "determination
and payment of damages done by dogs to live stock and poultry."

Licensing immediately became the "solution" to the problem of keeping track of dog ownership and also making sure that every dog was vaccinated against the dreaded rabies virus. Licensing also provided a source of income to the state's counties, townships, cities and villages which were given the mandate for operating the licensing and enforcement system.

As the State of Michigan developed a system to compile its laws so that similar topics were grouped together, the "dog law of 1919" became part of Chapter 287 of the Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL), a Chapter entitled the "ANIMAL INDUSTRY".  Chapter 287 sprawls from MCL 287.111-287.119 "Horse Riding Stables and Sales Barns" to MCL 287.1101-287.1123, the "Large Carnivore Act."

The State of Michigan has no acts or laws that govern cats, so that any cat legislation has to come from the dozens of various county ordinances authorized by MCL 287.289a.

The Domestic Animal provisions of Michigan Compiled Laws Chapter 287 (MCL 287.261 to 287.351) are not bad law.  They defined a specific problem that was a serious local concern in 1919
("protection of live stock and poultry from damage by dogs"), and proceed to set up a system for dealing with that problem by licensing at the local level.
 


 








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If you want to help solve the problems of homeless and persecuted animals, you have to be familiar with the legal framework that props up the "Amimal Control" business.  We will do our best to provide you with a simplified introduction to the appropriate laws and ordinances, although we're the first to admit that this is no substitute for reading the actual source material in total and in the original language.
Most of the legislation that has come from the State of Michigan besides amendments to the "Dog Law of 1919" have been measures to spell out what constitutes good care of animals and what abusive practices are unlawful.  Overall, the Michigan legislature has been relatively kind to domestic animals.  Unfortunately they've missed dealing with the big targets.  We don't believe that it's an oversight.  It's hard not to believe that the State of Michigan has intentionally avoided being involved in the plight of helpless homeless "stray" domestic animals, hoping that that the counties, townships, cities and villages would identify the big targets and strategies for dealing with it.
D.A.W.N.'s Webmaster is Larry@eaton-dawn.org -- Thank you for reporting technical problems that you find here.