Michigan Laws 750.50c – Police dog or police horse; definitions; violation as felony or misdemeanor; penalty; other violations
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
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Attorney's Note
Under the Michigan Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| H | up to 2 years |
Terms Used In Michigan Laws 750.50c
- felony: when used in this act, shall be construed to mean an offense for which the offender, on conviction may be punished by death, or by imprisonment in state prison. See Michigan Laws 750.7
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Dog handler” means a peace officer who has successfully completed training in the handling of a police dog pursuant to a policy of the law enforcement agency that employs that peace officer.
(b) “Physical harm” means any injury to a dog’s or horse’s physical condition.
(c) “Police dog” means a dog used by a law enforcement agency of this state or of a local unit of government of this state that is trained for law enforcement work and subject to the control of a dog handler.
(d) “Police horse” means a horse used by a law enforcement agency of this state or of a local unit of government of this state for law enforcement work.
(e) “Search and rescue dog” means a dog that is trained for, being trained for, or engaged in a search and rescue operation.
(f) “Search and rescue operation” means an effort conducted at the direction of an agency of this state or of a political subdivision of this state to locate or rescue a lost, injured, or deceased individual.
(g) “Serious physical harm” means any injury to a dog’s or horse’s physical condition or welfare that is not necessarily permanent but that constitutes substantial body disfigurement, or that seriously impairs the function of a body organ or limb.
(2) A person shall not intentionally kill or cause serious physical harm to a police dog or police horse or a search and rescue dog.
(3) A person shall not intentionally cause physical harm to a police dog or police horse or a search and rescue dog.
(4) A person shall not intentionally harass or interfere with a police dog or police horse or search and rescue dog lawfully performing its duties.
(5) A person who violates subsection (2) is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or both.
(6) Except as provided in subsection (7), a person who violates subsection (3) or (4) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.
(7) A person who violates subsection (3) or (4) while committing a crime is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $15,000.00, or both.
(8) This section does not prohibit an individual from being charged with, convicted of, or punished for any other violation of law committed by that individual while violating this section.