HB 4765 Summary

• Amends MCL 750.49 to prohibit owning, possessing, breeding, buying, selling, importing, or exporting animals for fighting, baiting, or use as shooting targets, with felony penalties of up to 4 years imprisonment, fines of $5,000-$50,000, and 500-1,000 hours of community service.

• Establishes separate felony penalties for presence at animal fighting events, possession of fighting equipment, and breeding/selling offspring of fighting animals, with up to 4 years imprisonment, fines of $1,000-$5,000, and 250-500 hours of community service.

• Creates escalating criminal liability for owners who incite fighting animals to attack persons, ranging from felony charges with life imprisonment (if death results) to misdemeanor charges (if non-fatal injury results).

• Authorizes animal control shelters, animal protection shelters, and law enforcement agencies to seize fighting animals and adopt them after determining they are fit for placement and pose no public safety threat, with notice and bond requirements for owners.

• Requires courts to order convicted violators to pay prosecution costs and care expenses for seized animals, and prohibits ownership of the same animal species for 5 years following conviction.