Animal Control Shelter, Animal Protection Shelter Registration

New! Applications for these tasks are submitted and paid for online through the Michigan Business One Stop portal.  

A. NAME OF PERMIT OR APPROVAL:  

Animal Shelter Registration (Riding Stable/Pet Shop/Animal Shelter Application Form AH-025). 

B. STATUTORY AUTHORITY:  

Pet Shops, Dog Pounds, and Animal Shelters, 1969 PA 287, as amended  

C. APPLICABLE REGULATION:  

Regulation 151 Pet Shops, Dog Pounds, and Animal Shelters  

D. SUMMARY OF PERMIT/APPROVAL PROCESS:  

1. Applicability (activities that require the permit)

You will need a license if you are:

• An Animal Control Shelter: a city, township, or county government that operates a facility for the housing and care of animals found running at large (i.e. in the community not under the control of a human), animals surrendered, or animals housed due to violations to state or local laws.
• An Animal Protection Shelter: a facility dedicated to housing and caring for homeless non-livestock, non-rodent mammals. Examples include humane societies.  

2. Pre-Application Requirements  

• You will need to contact a veterinarian to secure veterinary care for the animals should they become ill or injured. The name of the veterinarian(s) agreeding to service the facility must appear on the application.
• Be in compliance with the standards required for Pet Shops, Dog Pounds, and Animal Shelters, 1969 PA 287, as amended & Regulation 151 Pet Shops, Dog Pounds, and Animal Shelters. Your facility must pass an inspection. This inspection will occur after a completed application is received by the department.

3. Application Submission Requirements  

The application must be completed in its entirety to include:

• Business name, address, and phone number.
• Business mailing address (if different from the business address).
• Type of ownership (i.e. corporation, sole ownership, partnership, LLC, etc).
• Name and address of the corporation or the owner (if not a corporation).
• Federal Tax ID for the business.
• The type of license desired (i.e. Animal Control Shelter or Animal Protection Shelter).
• Signature, printed name, title of person signing, and date signed. (Please note that an Animal Control Shelter Application must be signed by the Mayor, City Manager, or Chariman of the Board of Commissioners. An Animal Protection Shelter Application must be signed by the President.)
• Hospital name, veterinarian name, hospital address, and hospital phone number for the veterinarian that has agreed to service the animal shelter.  

4. Procedures and Time-Frame for Obtaining Permit or Approval  

• Familiarize yourself with the laws and regulations governing animal shelters, as well as the additional materials pertaining to animal shelters. (Please see the "Laws and Regulations" and "Additional Materials" sections on the Pet Shop License FAQ  
• Arrange for veterinary service for the animal shelter.
• Complete the registration form providing all of the information requested. If a section is not applicable, please put a line through that section. (Click here for aid in completing the application form.)
• Submit the completed application to: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Animal Industry Division, PO Box 30776, Lansing, MI  48909-8276.
• After your application has been approved and processed, a Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development(MDARD) employee will contact you to verify that your facility is ready for inspection. If the facility is ready for inspection, a MDARD inspector, typically a Field Veterinarian, will then contact you to set-up and conduct a pre-licensing inspection of the facility.
• Upon completion of the pre-registration inspection, the inspection report is sent to the Lansingoffice for a manager's review. Once the facility has passed inspection and managerial review, an Animal Shelter Registration will be issued and mailed. Please note that if there are problems found either by the inspector or the manager, you will be given suggestions for improvement as well as a re-inspection date.
• After receiving the registration, you may then operate an animal shelter.

Typically it takes 4-8 weeks from the time an application is submitted to receive a registration.

5. Operational Requirements  

License continuity requires Compliance with:

• Pet Shops, Dog Pounds, and Animal Shelters, 1969 PA 287, as amended & Regulation 151 Pet Shops, Dog Pounds, and Animal Shelters. Please note that this law also requires shelters to submit to the department, by March 31st each year, statistics (Michigan Annual Shelter Report) of the previous year including the number of dogs, cats, ferrets, and other animals received by a shelter, returned to owner, sold to research, euthanized, adopted, and transferred for the previous year.  
• The Animal Industry Act 1988, PA 466 States requirements to import exotic animals into the State of Michigan.
• Turtles 1988 PA 424 States requirements to sell or distribute turtles in the State of Michigan.
• Ferrets 1994 PA 358 Establishes requirements for the care, importation, breeding, sale, etc of ferrets in the State of Michigan.
• Sale of Baby Chicks, Rabbits, Ducklings, or Other Fowl or Game 1945 PA 163 Prohibits the sale of dyed animals in the State of Michigan.
• Bodies of Dead Animals 1982 PA 239 & Regulations for 1982 PA 239 Establishes disposal requirements for animals that have died.
• 1992 PA 239 Pseudorabies and Swine Brucellosis Control and Eradication Act States requirements for swine--for shelters with pigs, including pot-bellied pigs.
• Use of Dogs and Cats for Research 1968 PA 224 Gives authority for holding animals to animal control shelters as well as establishes holding durations for stray animals.
• Registration and Idenitification of Dogs 1939 PA 309 Establishes reporting requirements for anyone, except local law enforcement, finding or taking possession of a stray dog, including a dog with a state registered tattoo.

6. Fees  

No fee

7. Appeal Process  

License denials can be appealed in accordance with the

Administrative Procedures Act, Public Act 306 of 1969, as amended.

8. Public Input Opportunities  

• Licensing status questions and licensing process complaints should be directed to the Central Licensing Unit of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, 517 241-6666.
• Compliance information or licensing enforcement complaints should be directed to the Animal Shelter Enforcement Program, Animal Industry Division, 517 335-7188.

E. Contact Information:  

Contact Us

Creation/Revision Date:

October 2010