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Ordinances

Back to Animal Control	Grand Traverse County Animal Control Ordinance
	ARTICLE I: DEFINITIONS
	Section 101:	Animal control officer shall mean any agent of the Health Department Director designated to enforce this ordinance and the state "1919 Dog Law," MCL 287.261 et seq.
	Section: 102	Director shall mean the director of the Grand Traverse County Health Department.
	Section: 103	Dog kennel shall mean any establishment which keeps or boards dogs for profit, whether for breeding, sale, or sporting purposes.
	Section: 104	Owner, when applied to the proprietorship of an animal for the purpose of this ordinance, shall mean any person who has a right of property in an animal, any person who permits an animal on or about his/her premises, or any person who exercises dominion or control over an animal with or without the authority of any person who claims a superior property right in the animal.
	ARTICLE II: ANIMAL CONTROL AGENCY. POWERS AND DUTIES
	Section: 201	The Grand Traverse County Health Department is assigned as the County’s animal control agency, and its director shall be responsible for the enforcement of this ordinance and the state “Dog Law of 1919,” MCL 287.261 et seq. This responsibility extends to any animal within the county other than an animal subject to a city or township animal control ordinance adopted pursuant to MCL 287.290.
	Section: 202	The animal control agency shall capture, accept, and confine unlicensed dogs, stray dogs, unwanted, abandoned, and abused dogs.
	Section: 203	The agency shall give written notice to the owner of a dog displaying a valid license within 48 hours of the dog’s confinement. The notice shall be sent to the owner’s address as provided in the license application.
	Section: 204	Healthy dogs not displaying a valid license which remain unclaimed after four days of confinement, and dogs displaying a valid license which remain unclaimed after seven days following notice of confinement, shall be destroyed or given to agencies approved by the County Board of Commissioners. Sick or injured dogs may be destroyed at the director’s discretion.
	Section: 205	Voluntarily surrendered dogs may be destroyed at the owner's request.
	Section: 206	Fees for capture, confinement, and euthanasia shall be established by the director, reviewed annually, and charged in accordance with costs incurred by the agency.
	Section: 207	No dog shall be released to any claimant until the fees for capture and confinement are paid.
	ARTICLE III: LICENSING. VACCINATION
	Section: 301	All dogs must be licensed except: (a) a dog under four months of age; (b) a dog licensed by another state or county where the dog owner maintains his/her permanent residence; (c) dogs kept in dog kennels licensed pursuant to the dog kennel provisions of this ordinance.
	Section: 302	The County Treasurer shall issue licenses as provided by the provisions of the “1919 Dog Law,” MCL 287.261 et seq. License fees shall be established from time to time by the county board of commissioners.
	Section: 303	All dogs shall be currently protected by a rabies vaccine active at the time the license is issued.
	Section: 304	The license tag issued by the County Treasurer shall be worn by each licensed dog at all times.
	ARTICLE IV: OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
	Section: 401	No person shall intentionally, or by failure to exercise due care, allow a dog to run at large, stray, or otherwise be off the owner's premises unless held on leash, subject to the exceptions found at MCL 287.262.
	ARTICLE V: KENNELS
	Section: 501	In addition to the kennel license required by MCL 287.270, any person operating a dog kennel shall obtain a kennel health permit from the county health department. Each application for a kennel health permit shall be on a form provided by the health department and shall set forth the location of the kennel and the maximum number of dogs which may be kept in the kennel.
	Section: 502	Each kennel shall be inspected prior to the issuance of a kennel health permit, and additional inspections may occur at any time to insure compliance.
	Section: 503	Each dog kept in the kennel shall be vaccinated for rabies as specified by this ordinance.
	Section: 504	The director shall establish standards consistent with the health and safety of the animals kept in a kennel. Failure to comply with the established standards is a violation of this ordinance, and is grounds for revocation of the kennel health permit and kennel license.
	ARTICLE VI: PENALTIES
	Section: 601	A person who violates any provision of this ordinance is guilty of a municipal civil infraction and subject to a maximum fine of $500.00.

Grand Traverse County Michigan

Ordinances