HOUSE BILL No. 4511


     March 22, 2001, Introduced by Reps. DeVuyst, Patterson, Howell, Sanborn, Birkholz, Richardville and Richner and referred
to the Committee on Conservation and Outdoor Recreation.


        A bill to amend 1969 PA 287, entitled

   "An act to regulate pet shops, animal control shelters, and
   animal protection shelters; to establish uniform procedures and
   minimum requirements for adoption of dogs, cats, and ferrets; and
   to prescribe penalties and civil fines and to provide remedies,"

   by amending section 1 (MCL 287.331), as amended by 1997 PA 7.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

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           Sec. 1.  As used in this act:

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           (a) "Adoption" means a transfer of ownership, with or with-

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      out remuneration, of a dog, cat, or ferret from an animal control

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      shelter or animal protection shelter to an individual for the

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      purpose of being a companion animal for that individual.  As used

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      in this subdivision, a companion animal includes but is not

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      limited to a dog that is used for hunting or as a guard dog.







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           (b) "Alteration" means a professional sterilization

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      procedure performed by a veterinarian that renders a dog, cat, or

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      ferret incapable of reproducing.

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           (c) "Altered", in reference to a dog, cat, or ferret, means

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      having undergone alteration.

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           (d) "Animal" means a mammal AND NONFURBEARING ANIMALS,

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      except livestock as defined in 1937 PA 284, MCL 287.121 to

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      287.131, and rodents.

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           (e) "Animal control shelter" means a facility operated by a

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      municipality for the impoundment and care of animals that are

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      found in the streets or at large, animals that are otherwise held

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      due to the violation of a municipal ordinance or state law, or

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      animals that are surrendered to  the animal control shelter  THAT

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      FACILITY.

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           (f) "Animal protection shelter" means a facility operated by

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      a person, humane society, society for the prevention of cruelty

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      to animals, or any other nonprofit organization for the care of

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      homeless animals.

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           (g) "Cat" means a domestic cat of any age of the species

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      felis catus.

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           (h) "Department" means the  state  MICHIGAN department of

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      agriculture.

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           (i) "Director" means the director of the department or his

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      or her authorized representative.

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           (j) "Dog" means a domestic dog of any age of the species

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      canis familiaris.





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           (k) "Ferret" means an animal of any age of the species

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      mustela furo.

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           (l) "Health certificate" means a certificate in a form pre-

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      scribed by the department in which a veterinarian attests to the

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      age, sex, breed, and description of an animal  ,  and to the fact

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      that at the time of preparation of the certificate, the veteri-

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      narian examined the animal and found the animal free from visual

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      evidence of communicable disease.

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           (m) "Municipality" means a county, city, village, or

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      township.

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           (N) "NONFURBEARING ANIMAL" MEANS A MEMBER OF THE ZOOLOGICAL

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      CLASSES OF AMPHIBIA AND REPTILIA.

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           (O)  (n)  "Person" means an individual, partnership, corpo-

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      ration, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity.

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           (P)  (o)  "Pet shop" means a place where animals are sold or

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      offered for sale, exchange, or transfer.

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           (Q)  (p)  "Veterinarian" means  a person  AN
   INDIVIDUAL

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      licensed to practice veterinary medicine under article 15 of the

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      public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838.



















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