Advocacy

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Advocating for Animal Welfare

Help Address Animal Welfare Issues in Michigan and Beyond

For more than a century, Michigan Humane has taken a leadership role in affecting legislation to address animal welfare issues in our state. We firmly believe that one of the ways we can have a lasting and significant impact on animal welfare is through legislation that is carefully drafted and effectively enforced. We work at the state and local level to enact statutes and ordinances that improve animals’ lives, and we also push back and fight the passage of bills we think will have a negative impact.

Join the Michigan Humane Legislative Action Network using the menu on the right. You will receive our monthly blog and updates letting you know when and how you can take action. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of animals throughout Michigan.

If you are interested in learning more about animal law and animal welfare legislation, please check out our advocacy blog.

If you want to know about the Michigan legislation on which Michigan Humane has taken (or expects to take) a position, please visit our bill summary and tracking tool. And don’t forget to check back for updates!

If you are an animal advocate or are thinking about getting involved in advocacy, local ordinances may be the best place to focus your efforts. There are many animal-related issues that are more appropriate for local regulation. Ordinances passed by a county or municipality can be tailored to a community’s needs, often with direct input from those who will be responsible for enforcing them. More information about local advocacy, including sample ordinances, can be found in our Local Ordinance Library.

Resources

If you are interested in animal law or the legislative process, you might enjoy exploring the information available through the following links:

Find your Michigan Senator and your Michigan Representative.

The Michigan Legislature’s official website. You can look up the status of current bills, search archives, and also research current Michigan law.

The Legislative Process in Michigan – A Student’s Guide.  Do you know a young person interested in learning more about the Michigan legislative process? This helpful publication was prepared by the Michigan legislature.

2021-2022 Legislative Briefing Book. Prepared by the Michigan Legislative Council for new legislators, this publication explains everything you need to know regarding the legislative process in Michigan.

2022 U.S. Animal Protection Law Rankings. Prepared annually by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, this publication compares animal protection laws throughout the U.S. and ranks states from best to worst.

Animal Law 101. Visit the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s website for information about what animal law is and what animal lawyers do.

Michigan State University College of Law Animal and Legal Historical Center. “On this site you will find a comprehensive repository of information about animal law, including: over 1200 full text cases (US, historical, and UK), over 1400 US statutes, over 60 topics and comprehensive explanations, legal articles on a variety of animal topics and an international collection.”

You can find municipal and county ordinances on the community’s website.  Local ordinances for a specific community may also be found at www.municode.com and selecting “Code Library” at the top right side of the page.

For animal research and resources beneficial to animal welfare advocates, visit  https://faunalytics.org/.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Animal Industry Division (MDARD-AID) is responsible for protecting human and animal health in Michigan, including companion animals.  Information about MDARD-AID may be found at https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1572_2875-8211–,00.html.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has an Animal Welfare Committee.  More information may be found at https://www.aza.org/animal_welfare_committee.

In many communities, animal control officers are on the front lines of animal protection and welfare.  Information about the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) is available at  https://www.nacanet.org/.  Information about the Michigan Association of Animal Control Officers (MAACO) may be found at http://www.maacoweb.com/.