shiawasseecounty.net

Does anyone know what the pet count is suppose to be for people who live within Owosso and Corunna? I overheard a man in a local store yesterday, asking people to sign his petition to help him keep all 9 of his pets. I heard him saying that Owosso only allows 3 animals per household, within city limits, and he is being forced to get rid of some. It has perked my curiosity.

The cities of Owosso and Corunna both have an "Animal Control Ordinance" that is available online.

They are both quite similar and I posted the City of Owosso's on my blog at http://shiacac.blogspot.com/2007/01/41- ... imals.html in a slightly easier to read format. I have Corunna's, but I didn't put in on my blog.

Neither mentions a limit on dogs.

Both claim authority to adopt an ordinance comes from the Dog Law of 1919....which only gives authority to adopt an ordinance 'to regulate the licensing, payment of claims and providing for the enforcement thereof". Claims would be for damage to livestock by dogs.
Neither ordinance does any of that, so I don't believe these are anything but outlaw ordinances.

I'm confused? What about?
Sec. 5-4. Domestic animals and fowl. " No person or family or household shall keep more than three (3) adult cats and/or dogs at or in any residence within the city. For purposes of this section a cat or dog is deemed to be an adult upon becoming ten (10) weeks old.

aha! I missed that line....Fritz would be so proud of you!
I rechecked the city of Corunna's code and doesn't appear to be any such limiting clause in there.

But, the Owosso code states at the beginning:

State Law References: Authority to adopt animal control ordinance, MCL 287.290
and MCL 287.290 states:

MCL 287.290 Municipal animal control ordinances; certificate of vaccination. [M.S.A. 12.541 ]
Sec. 30.
A city, village or township by action of its governing body may adopt an animal control ordinance to regulate the licensing, payment of claims and providing for the enforcement thereof.

A city, village, county or township adopting a dog licensing ordinance or ordinances shall also require that such application for a license, except kennel licenses, shall be accompanied by proof of vaccination of the dog for rabies by a valid certificate of vaccination for rabies, with a vaccine licensed by the United States department of agriculture, signed by an accredited veterinarian.

So, this MCL 287.290 gives no authority to adopt the 'code' the city has adopted, even though the city claims this is the state law that gives them the authority to do so.

Hence my opinion that this is just another outlaw ordinance.

It would cost a lot of money to fight it, in court. But, should anyone care to fight it, it would be difficult for the city code to stand up under such scrutiny. Not only that, but limiting the number of dogs a person may own has also been ruled to be unconstitutional. Such case law would also make it difficult for this city code to stand up.

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/minnlaw1.html

For those who are interested, here is a good source for information regarding city ordinances/number of dogs allowed:

http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ddus ... nces.htm#I

So, in Owosso you can only have up to 3 adult dogs, cats, or birds. But in Corunna you can have however many you want? I find it hard to believe that Corunna doesn't have anything in place. This could explain why the man who I had mentioned is coming to look at my house that is up for sale, in Corunna. I thought that if Owosso had an "outlaw ordinance" in affect that Corunna would also. Goes to show what happens when you assume.

That is what their "illegal outlaw ordinance" says.

Corunna's equally "illegal outlaw ordinance' does not mention a limit to the number of critters a person may own.

Oh I think they would find a way to make life miserable for anyone who owns "too many" animals. One way or another.
Pinheads with too much authority always do, just because they can.


That isn't an unreasonable assumption. Many cities and townships all over the state adopted extremely similar "illegal outlaw ordinances" about the same time. Seems it was the thing to do. Most are so similar to Owosso's that there had to be one original they all copied, made a few minor changes and adopted.

Just about the same as the county did.

Do you think any of these will ever make any effort to make their ordinances comply with state law?

Ada is a nice town, and the obvious question is: When will the good guys clean house?"

from John Grisham's website ...but change "Ada" to any town and/or twp or county. When the "good guys" clean house, or at least stand up and say something, then and only then will these 'outlaw governments' begin to comform to the law and the constitution.

Until the good guys stand up, it is more likely these 'outlaws' will try to get the law changed to make the currently illegal activity legal. As Shiawassee County did last year with their amendment to their animal control ordinance.

A family down the street from has a child who raised a chicken from an egg he hatched as a school project. The chicken became a household pet and acted more like a dog than it did a chicken. It loved to hop up and sit in your lab. As far as I know it stayed at home in the yard etc. It was a beautiful little hen and I really enjoyed seeing it out in the yard. One day I noticed that I wasn't seeing it any more. I asked the family what had happened to the chicken and they said a neighbor complained and the city forced them to give hen away because they said owning it did not comply with the city ordinances. If I am not mistaken, that is the same person who complained about the man with dogs (I think most of them were rescued animals).

I guess the new City Council needs to look at the pet ordinance and decide what needs to be done.

Yes they do, but they will never make it okay to have a farm animal in the city. That same thing has happened all across the country.

Altho this rule....applies within the city limits it's not readily enforced. EVEN when someone complains...then animal control will come out take a look...tell them they can have 3 combined animals and need to find homes for the others by X date. There is a follow-up but no extended follow-up which i think there needs to be b/c someone I know has in excess of animals. The follow ups are needed esp in instances of animal hoarders who will take in any cat dog bird whatever.

Are there any "good guys" standing up?

Has nothing to do with this topic but...that chicken story was really sad

Exactly!!!! There is a show on the Animal planet that follows the animal control people around and shows what they have to deal with. I will never forget the one with a lady that had almost 200 cats inside her home.