Animal Control Officers are required to have a minimum of 100 hours of training before they can be hired by any city, village or township in the State of Michigan pursuant to MCL 287.289c.  The training must be approved by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.  There are two exceptions to this requirement:

• a police officer or
• a person who has been employed as an animal control officer for at least three years prior to 1973.

Application Procedure 

To become a qualified Animal Control Officer, a person must first complete the required 100 hours of training.  See the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development suggested training outline and memorandum on training.  If the applicant has specific ideas for training other than those described on this Web Site, contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture  Rural Development, Animal Industry Division, at (517) 373-1077. Also review the laws, regulations, additional material and training programs pertaining to Animal Control.

Once training has been completed, the applicant or other appropriate person must submit a summary of the training to:

Animal Industry Division
Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
P.O. Box 30017
Lansing, Michigan 48909

The summary must include the date training occurred, number of hours spent in training on that date, who did the training, and what was covered in the training.  For example:

Once the summary is received by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development 

The summary will be reviewed by the Animal Industry Division of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.

After the review process, a letter will be sent to the applicant with an approval letter.  This letter should be kept on file.

If the applicants summary of training is disapproved, a letter will be sent to the applicant with an explanation of the reason for disapproval.  Typical reasons for disapproval are failure to adequately document training and inappropriate or the lack of training.  Inappropriate training may include self study or a request that 20 hours of cleaning kennels count toward the 100 hours of required training. 

Browse here for a more detailed summary of the requirement.  (This document, and many below, require Adobe's free Acrobat Reader.)

Laws and Regulations 

The laws relative to Animal Control Officers are (follow the links):

• Act 368 of 1978, Section 333.18805 Public Health Code (Excerpt) 
  Definitions for practice as a veterinary technician, practice of veterinary medicine, and veterinarian.
  
  
• Act 368 of 1978, Section 333.18814 Public Health Code (Excerpt) 
  Conduct not considered practice of veterinary medicine.
  
  
• Pet Shops, Dog Pounds and Animal Shelters: Public Act 287 of 1969, as amended:
  The primary law pertaining to pet shops. Among other things, this law specifies who does and does not need a pet shop license and it includes requirements for importing and selling puppies and kittens.
  
  
• Regulation 151 (Pet Shops, Dog Pounds and Animal Shelters): 
  Regulations and requirements for operating a licensed pet shop, dog pound or animal shelter. This is a very important regulation to read and understand, as it covers areas that MDARD Inspectors review when visiting these facilities.
  
  
• The Animal Industry Act: Public Act 466 of 1988, as amended:
  Requirements for importing wild and exotic animals such as birds and reptiles.
  
  
• Regulations for The Animal Industry Act:
  This describes the specific regulations operating under the Animal Industry Act.
  
  
• Public Act 33 of 2001 
  An excerpt from the amended Animal Industry Act (PA 466 of 1988).
  
  
• Large Carnivore Act: Public Act 274 of 2000 
  An Act to regulate the ownership, possession, and care of certain large carnivores.
  
  
• Wolf-Dog Cross Act: Public Act 246 of 2000 
  An Act to regulate the ownership, possession, and care of certain wolf-dog crosses.
  
  
• Bodies of Dead Animals: Public Act 239 of 1982 
  An Act to license and regulate animal food manufacturing plants, transfer stations, dead animal dealers, rendering plants, and certain vehicles.
  
  
• Regulations for Public Act 239 of 1982 
  Bodies of Dead Animals
  
  
• Use of Dogs and Cats for Research: Public Act 224 of 1969 
  An Act to license and regulate dealers in and research facilities using dogs and cats for research purposes; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts.
  
  
• Regulation 150: Use of Dogs and Cats for Research
  
  
• Dog Law: Public Act 339 of 1919 
  An Act relating to dogs and the protection of live stock and poultry from damage by dogs; providing for the licensing of dogs; regulating the keeping of dogs, and authorizing their destruction in certain cases, etc.
  
  
• Liability of Owner for Dog Bite: Public Act 73 of 1939 
  An Act providing for the recovery of damages by persons bitten by dogs; and creating a liability of the owners of such dogs.
  
  
• Regulation 129: Governing Dog Kennels
  
  
• Registration and Identification of Dogs 
  An Act to provide for the regulation, registration, identification and licensing of dogs.
  
  
• Michigan Penal Code (Chapter IX animals): Public Act 328 of 1931 (as amended)   
  
  
• Animals Running at Large: Public Act 328 of 1976 
  An Act to regulate animals running at large; to provide for compensation for damage done by animals running at large; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts.
  
  
• Dangerous Animals: Public Act 426 of 1988 
  An Act to regulate dangerous animals; to provide for the confinement, tattooing, or destruction of dangerous animals; and to provide penalties for the owners or keepers of dangerous animals that attack human beings.
  
  
• The Turtle Act: Public Act 424 of 1988 
  State requirements for the sale of small turtles. (Federal law covers to whom turtles may be sold, state law covers specifics about the sale.)
  
  
• The Ferret Act: Public Act 358 of 1994 
  Legalized and controls the sale and breeding of ferrets.
  
  
• Sale of Baby Chicks, Rabbits, Ducklings, or Other Fowl or Game: Public Act 163 of 1945:
  Prohibits the sale of dyed chicks, rabbits, ducklings, etc.
  
  
• Pseudorabies and Swine Brucelosis Control and Eradication Act: Public Act 239 of 1992:
  Swine laws, pertinent for stores selling pot-bellied or other pet pigs.
  
  
• Equine Activity Liability Act: Public Act 351 of 1994 
  An Act to regulate civil liability related to equine activities; and to prescribe certain duties for equine professionals.
  
  
• Horse Riding Stables and Sales Barns: Public Act 93 of 1974 
  An Act to license and regulate horse riding stables and sales barns; to prescribe the duties of the department of agriculture; and to provide a penalty.
  
  Regulation No. 154: Horse Riding Stables and Sales Barns
• Public Health Code, Act 368 of 1978, as ammended, Section 7333 
  This discusses the requirements to administer euthanasia or tranquilize.
  
  
• Rules of the Michigan Board of Pharmacy
  For information on the laws pertaining to animal euthanasia training see sections R 338.3138 and R 338.3139.
  
• Leader Dogs for Blind Persons, Act 207 of 1970 
  
  
• Michigan Penal Code (excerpt), Act 328 of 1931 
  Person with disabilities or trainer led by guide, leader, hearing, or service dog; refusing entry to or use of public or private accomodations as misdemeanor; conditions; identification card; list; definitions.
  
  
• Public Act 117 of 2009
  This law makes it illegal if a farm animal can not lie down, stand up, fully extend limbs, and turn around freely in its enclosure.
  

Additional Materials

• An Overview of Regulations Governing Animal Shelters and Dog Pounds 
  This sheet summarizes requirements of Public Act 287 of 1969 and Regulation 151.
  
  
• Rabies and Animal (Mammal) Bite Protocol Sheet 
  Breaks down the proper procedures for potential and positive rabies situations.
  
  
• Protocol For Exotic Animal Bites
  Flow chart that details the actions to be taken should a human be bitten or scratched by a wild or exotic animal.
  
  
• Exotic Zoo Bites Fact Sheet
  A list of questions and answers pertaining to humans bitten or scratched by animals.
  
  
• Proper Disposal of Animal Carcasses Brochure 
  Summarizes state requirements for disposal of dead animals.
  
  
• Ferret Health Advisory Sheet Memorandum 
  Explains requirements for the Ferret Health Advisory Sheet as required by Public Act 358 of 1994.
  
  
• Ferret Health Advisory Sheet
  Must accompany every ferret sold or transferred in the State of Michigan.
  
  
• Chlamydiosis (Psittacosis) Brochure 
  This brochure explains the disease chlamydiosis and how it effects birds and humans.
  
  
• Turtle Health Advisory Sheet 
  This sheet must be distributed with every turtle sold in Michigan.
  
  
• Salmonella in Reptiles 
  This fact sheet explains the disease salmonella and how it effects reptiles and humans.
  
  
• NASPHV Psittacosis Compendium 
  Requirements for chlamydiosis/psittacosis control.
  
  
• NASPHV Rabies Compendium 
  Requirements for rabies control.
  
  
• 2007 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia
  
  
• Information on Conducting Euthanasia
  
  
• Bat Euthanasia Guidelines
  
  
• Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices 
  Recommended agricultural and management practices for farm animals for the State of Michigan.
  
  
• Current MDA Policy on Animal Shelter Holding Times and on Rabies Vaccination of Kennel Dogs
  
  

• The Amimal Law Society of Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Grand Rapids invites you to attend its Animal Law Symposium on Saturday, June 23, 2012. For more information, see The Animal Law Society Invitiation.



• National Animal Control Association (NACA) Training Academy. The program has two non consecutive levels of training and is held periodically at different locations around the country. Individuals that successfully complete both levels are eligible for national certification. For more information log onto www.nacanet.org or call 913-768-1319.
  
  
• Michigan Association of Animal Control Officers (MAACO). The association has two meetings per year: an annual fall meeting and a spring meeting. The annual meeting is generally held in Lansing every September. The spring meeting is generally held in March at a location other than Lansing, usually in the northern part of the state. The association typically offers tranquilizer and/or euthanasia training at these meetings. Log onto www.maacoweb.com for more details or call 269-445-1238.
  
  
• American Humane Association (AHA). The AHA provides training programs in animal welfare in various regional areas. For more information, call 1-800-227-4645 or log onto www.americanhumane.org.
  
  
• The University of Missouri, through their Law Enforcement Training Institute, offers a training program known as the National Cruelty Investigation School. The training consists of three levels of training, each consisting of 5 days of training. The courses are offered at various locations throughout the country. For more information, see leti.missouri.edu/animal3.htm or call (800) 825-6505.
  
  
• Some local community colleges and high school adult education programs offer courses that would be appropriate for animal control officer training.