1. LAWS & ORDINANCES
The State Laws regarding animals are with few exceptions found in Chapter 287 of the Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL). A good starting point for locating State of Michigan Laws is the Michigan Legislature Website. It provides the opportunity to search for laws by number if you're a law scholar or by topic if you're an ordinary citizen who wants to know what State Law has to say about a subject. It can get confusing since the same law can have different names and numbers used to refer to it; if you stick to MCL numbers, you shouldn't get lost in the jungle of names and numbers.
Here are a couple of important pieces of State Law for people concerned with animal welfare:
MCL 287.261 - 287.290 -- also known as "The Dog Law of 1919" and "Act 339 of 1919", these laws form the core of Michigan's public policy on animal control.
MCL 287.331 - 287.340 -- Act 287 of 1969 has some important things to say about pet shops and animal control shelters.
Chapter 287 also regulates things like service dogs and leader dogs, identifying tattoos, sale of homeless cats and dogs as research subjects, dangerous animals and dog bites, etc. Interestingly, State Law is nearly silent on the issue of licensing, capturing and euthanizing cats, which is therefore always a decision made at the county or local level.
The Eaton County Animal Control Ordinance was adopted by the Board of Commissioners in 1977,
amended in 2003, and amended in November 2009 (to ban the sale of animals as research subjects).
2. EATON COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL TASK FORCE
In March 2008, three Eaton County residents attended a Public Safety Committee meeting, asking what they could do to help Eaton County Animal Control.
http://www.eatoncounty.org/Assets/Board+of+Commissioners/Committees/Current+Year/Public+Safety/2008-3+Public+Safety+Minutes.pdf
In April 2008 a Task Force was set up and two of the Eaton County residents attended.
http://www.eatoncounty.org/Assets/Board+of+Commissioners/Committees/Current+Year/Public+Safety/2008-4+Public+Safety+Committee+Minutes.pdf
In May 2008 pictures of some of the animals in the Eaton County Animal Control started being posted online.
ECAC Animal Photos
On May 20, 2008 the Sheriff issued an order to stop the sale of animals to research.
Sheriff's order
On September 4, 2008 the Task Force presented18 recommendations.
Animal Control Task Force Recommendations
On September 10, 2008 the Eaton County Sheriff responded to the 18 Task Force recommendations.
Sheriff's Response to the Animal Control Task Force
On October 1, 2009 it was requested at the Public Safety Committee meeting that they act on #10 of the Task Force recommendations, maintaining by County Board of Commissioners' Resolution the Sheriff's order to end the practice of selling or releasing animals for research.
On November 5, 2009 the Public Safety Committee meeting approved forwarding the resolution to stop the sale of ECAC animals for research to the full Board of Commissioners.
http://www.eatoncounty.org/Board_of_Commissioners/Committee_Assignments/Public_Safety_Committee.htm
On November 18, 2009 a resolution was approved by the Eaton County Board of Commissioners to ban the sale of animals to research. They can now be released to the owner, adopted, released to rescue, or as a last resort be euthanized.
Resolution to Ban the Sale or Release of Animals for Research
3. EATON COUNTY DECISION-MAKING BODIES
All meetings of the Eaton County Board of Commissioners and their Committees are subject to the State of Michigan Open Meetings Act MCL15.261 - 15.275. This means that anyone is entitled to attend each meeting as a visitor. Visitors are not welcome to participate in the meeting except during a 5-minute Public Comment period. Otherwise visitors are expected to sit quietly at a considerable distance from the meeting members. Michigan State law provides that a visitor may be ejected from a meeting for a breach of the peace.
Board of Commissioners' Rules of Procedure for Meetings
(The Public Comment rules are on page 11, section 4.6)
Eaton County Board of Commissioners meetings are held in the Board of Commissioners Meeting Room in the Eaton County Courthouse, 1045 Independence Blvd, on the north side of Charlotte. The Commissioners' usually meet on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Board of Commissioners Agendas and Minutes
Eaton County Board of Commissioners
Commissioners' Contact Information
The Eaton County Public Safety Committee meets in the Eaton County Sheriff's Department training room, 1025 Independence Blvd, on the north side of Charlotte. This is where we discuss is where we discuss Eaton County Animal Control concerns. The Public Safety Committee usually meets on the first Thursday of each month at 4:00 p.m.
The State Laws regarding animals are with few exceptions found in Chapter 287 of the Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL). A good starting point for locating State of Michigan Laws is the Michigan Legislature Website. It provides the opportunity to search for laws by number if you're a law scholar or by topic if you're an ordinary citizen who wants to know what State Law has to say about a subject. It can get confusing since the same law can have different names and numbers used to refer to it; if you stick to MCL numbers, you shouldn't get lost in the jungle of names and numbers.
Here are a couple of important pieces of State Law for people concerned with animal welfare:
MCL 287.261 - 287.290 -- also known as "The Dog Law of 1919" and "Act 339 of 1919", these laws form the core of Michigan's public policy on animal control.
MCL 287.331 - 287.340 -- Act 287 of 1969 has some important things to say about pet shops and animal control shelters.
Chapter 287 also regulates things like service dogs and leader dogs, identifying tattoos, sale of homeless cats and dogs as research subjects, dangerous animals and dog bites, etc. Interestingly, State Law is nearly silent on the issue of licensing, capturing and euthanizing cats, which is therefore always a decision made at the county or local level.
The Eaton County Animal Control Ordinance was adopted by the Board of Commissioners in 1977,
amended in 2003, and amended in November 2009 (to ban the sale of animals as research subjects).
2. EATON COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL TASK FORCE
In March 2008, three Eaton County residents attended a Public Safety Committee meeting, asking what they could do to help Eaton County Animal Control.
http://www.eatoncounty.org/Assets/Board+of+Commissioners/Committees/Current+Year/Public+Safety/2008-3+Public+Safety+Minutes.pdf
In April 2008 a Task Force was set up and two of the Eaton County residents attended.
http://www.eatoncounty.org/Assets/Board+of+Commissioners/Committees/Current+Year/Public+Safety/2008-4+Public+Safety+Committee+Minutes.pdf
In May 2008 pictures of some of the animals in the Eaton County Animal Control started being posted online.
ECAC Animal Photos
On May 20, 2008 the Sheriff issued an order to stop the sale of animals to research.
Sheriff's order
On September 4, 2008 the Task Force presented18 recommendations.
Animal Control Task Force Recommendations
On September 10, 2008 the Eaton County Sheriff responded to the 18 Task Force recommendations.
Sheriff's Response to the Animal Control Task Force
On October 1, 2009 it was requested at the Public Safety Committee meeting that they act on #10 of the Task Force recommendations, maintaining by County Board of Commissioners' Resolution the Sheriff's order to end the practice of selling or releasing animals for research.
On November 5, 2009 the Public Safety Committee meeting approved forwarding the resolution to stop the sale of ECAC animals for research to the full Board of Commissioners.
http://www.eatoncounty.org/Board_of_Commissioners/Committee_Assignments/Public_Safety_Committee.htm
On November 18, 2009 a resolution was approved by the Eaton County Board of Commissioners to ban the sale of animals to research. They can now be released to the owner, adopted, released to rescue, or as a last resort be euthanized.
Resolution to Ban the Sale or Release of Animals for Research
3. EATON COUNTY DECISION-MAKING BODIES
All meetings of the Eaton County Board of Commissioners and their Committees are subject to the State of Michigan Open Meetings Act MCL15.261 - 15.275. This means that anyone is entitled to attend each meeting as a visitor. Visitors are not welcome to participate in the meeting except during a 5-minute Public Comment period. Otherwise visitors are expected to sit quietly at a considerable distance from the meeting members. Michigan State law provides that a visitor may be ejected from a meeting for a breach of the peace.
Board of Commissioners' Rules of Procedure for Meetings
(The Public Comment rules are on page 11, section 4.6)
Eaton County Board of Commissioners meetings are held in the Board of Commissioners Meeting Room in the Eaton County Courthouse, 1045 Independence Blvd, on the north side of Charlotte. The Commissioners' usually meet on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Board of Commissioners Agendas and Minutes
Eaton County Board of Commissioners
Commissioners' Contact Information
The Eaton County Public Safety Committee meets in the Eaton County Sheriff's Department training room, 1025 Independence Blvd, on the north side of Charlotte. This is where we discuss is where we discuss Eaton County Animal Control concerns. The Public Safety Committee usually meets on the first Thursday of each month at 4:00 p.m.
H.E.A.R.T.
Helping Eaton Animals Resource Team
P O Box 206
Charlotte MI 48813
E-mail: HelpingEatonAnimalsRT@gmail.com
Helping Eaton Animals Resource Team
P O Box 206
Charlotte MI 48813
E-mail: HelpingEatonAnimalsRT@gmail.com
H.E.A.R.T. is organized exclusively for tax exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code for charitable and animal welfare purposes.
H.E.A.R.T. does not operate a shelter or animal care facility, nor do we have plans to do so. Our committment is to promote animal welfare in our community through special programs and to improve conditions for shelter animals.
H.E.A.R.T. is an all-volunteer organization. With no paid staff, every dollar that is donated goes directly to animal welfare resources.
H.E.A.R.T. is not a political organization, but as individuals with a common interest, its leaders sincerely believe that attending public meetings and interfacing with public officials regarding animal welfare is responsible citizenship. As citizens of Eaton County and the State of Michigan we do keep track of government deliberations, decisions, policies and operations that affect animal welfare.
Here we have collected a selection of documents that reflect some of the recent events and historical background of animal welfare and Animal Control in Eaton County and Michigan. There are some things here that contain important information for anyone with an interest in how public policy affects animal welfare.
H.E.A.R.T. does not operate a shelter or animal care facility, nor do we have plans to do so. Our committment is to promote animal welfare in our community through special programs and to improve conditions for shelter animals.
H.E.A.R.T. is an all-volunteer organization. With no paid staff, every dollar that is donated goes directly to animal welfare resources.
H.E.A.R.T. is not a political organization, but as individuals with a common interest, its leaders sincerely believe that attending public meetings and interfacing with public officials regarding animal welfare is responsible citizenship. As citizens of Eaton County and the State of Michigan we do keep track of government deliberations, decisions, policies and operations that affect animal welfare.
Here we have collected a selection of documents that reflect some of the recent events and historical background of animal welfare and Animal Control in Eaton County and Michigan. There are some things here that contain important information for anyone with an interest in how public policy affects animal welfare.
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About Us
Goals Statement
How to Volunteer
How to Donate
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
Events & Opportunities
Photo Album
Other Organizations
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