We’re 5 months into the Michigan and Congressional legislative sessions. There’s been local activity as well. Highlights include:
Michigan Legislature:
- This month saw the introduction of a 6-bill animal-friendly bill package, which AFA’s board has voted to support:
- animals in criminal prosecutions involving their treatment, welfare or custody may have pro bono lawyer or law student advocate appointed to represent their interests
- animals can’t be devocalizatiion unless veterinarian determines the procedure to be therapeutic, and makes it a crime to otherwise perform the procedure (2 bills)
- ban on ownership of primates
- carrier pigeon owners subject to local regulations
- community cat programs established, implemented and promoted with community cats and their caretakers exempt from certain laws
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- Also in May, and in response to the death of Sterling, a bill was introduced making it a crime to knowingly provide an animal to another who intends to abuse, mistreat the animal; or to provide an animal to another who intends to use it in fighting;
(Details in Legislative Tracker below)
Congress
- The bills we’re following are all animal-friendly and have received our support. Newly introduced in May are:
- Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act would require data on animal abuse in national data on child abuse, and evaluation of animal abuse as a risk factor
- Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act would restrict the use of exotic and wild animals in traveling circuses
- The bi-partisan Congressional Animal Protection Caucus continues to grow. Check here to see if your US Representative is a member. If not, call and ask her/him to join. You can use AFA’s Legislative Tracker as a reference to animal-friendly bills to ask your Congressperson to support.
(Details in Legislative Tracker below)
Local Updates of Note
- City, township and county ordinances and regulations can have a huge impact on animals. Here are recent examples:
- Macomb County (part of the Detroit metro area) establishes P.A.W.S. (Protecting Animal Welfare & Safety) Task Force, believed to be the first multi-jurisdictional animal abuse prevention task force in Michigan. The eight members include representatives from the county prosecutor, law enforcement, state leaders, members of animal welfare groups. The county prosecutor named three assistants to handle animal abuse cases, and noted a spike in the incidence of these crimes over the past few years.
- Royal Oak, MI’s City Commission voted unanimously to pursue a city ordinance prohibiting the sale of animals from puppy mills.
- The years-long Ann Arbor deer cull was in the news this month, with two council members (including the mayor) voting to end the program, which since 2016 has resulted in the killing of 386 deer by sharpshooters. The measure failed, by a 2-9 vote.
