November 29, 2011, Introduced by Senators COLBECK and KOWALL and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Elections.
A bill to amend 1919 PA 339, entitled
"Dog law of 1919,"
by amending section 17 (MCL 287.277), as amended by 1998 PA 390.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 17. (1) The county treasurer may, based on records of the
dogs actually licensed in each city or township of the county and
any report under section 16, identify and locate all unlicensed
dogs. If a dog is required to be licensed under this act but is
unlicensed, the dog is a public nuisance. The county treasurer
shall immediately list all unlicensed dogs identified by this
section and shall deliver copies of the list to the prosecuting
attorney of the county and to the director of the department of
agriculture and rural development. On receiving from the county
treasurer the name of any owner of an unlicensed dog, the
prosecuting attorney shall at once commence the necessary
proceedings against the owner of the dog, as required by this act.
(2) The Except
as provided in subsection (3) and sections 18,
19,
and 20, the sheriff shall locate and
kill, or cause to be
killed,
all such unlicensed dogs identified by the county treasurer
under subsection (1) and transport or arrange for the transport of
unlicensed dogs to an animal control shelter or an animal
protection shelter as defined in section 1 of 1969 PA 287, MCL
287.331.
(3) The sheriff may kill or cause to be killed an unlicensed
dog if he or she determines that the dog is a threat to public
safety.
(4) Failure, refusal, or neglect on the part of a sheriff to
carry
out the provisions of this section subsection (2) constitutes
nonfeasance in office.