Michigan's animal-cruelty law is the enforceable limit on keeping too many animals. Neglect or hoarding is prosecuted under MCL 750.50, with felony penalties when 25 or more animals are involved. Ottawa County Animal Control investigates complaints.
There is no separate numeric hoarding threshold, but the Michigan Penal Code criminalizes failing to provide adequate care and knowingly torturing or killing animals. Penalties escalate with the number of animals: a first offense with one animal is a 93-day misdemeanor; two or three animals, or an animal's death, raises it to a one-year misdemeanor; 25 or more animals, or repeat offenses, is a felony. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Animal Control Division investigates neglect and hoarding complaints with prosecutors.
Up to felony charges, forfeiture of the animals, fines, and multi-year bans on owning animals for large-scale or repeat cruelty and hoarding.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Ottawa County, MI
Backyard composting is allowed and actively encouraged in Ottawa County, which runs home and food-scrap composting programs. No county permit is needed for a...
Ottawa County, MI
Ottawa County sets no rule on artificial turf, and it does not zone. Whether synthetic lawn is allowed depends on your city or township zoning, and often on ...
Ottawa County, MI
Native and natural landscaping is allowed. Ottawa County does not zone, so rules come from your city or township. Holland Charter Township exempts undevelope...
Ottawa County, MI
Michigan places no statewide restriction on collecting rainwater, and Ottawa County has no rule against it. Residents may harvest rooftop rainwater in barrel...
Ottawa County, MI
There is no county-wide watering ban. Restrictions come from your water supplier. Communities on the City of Wyoming water system, including Holland, Georget...
Ottawa County, MI
Ottawa County does not enforce a general weed ordinance; cities and townships do. Holland Charter Township's Property Maintenance Code (IPMC 302.4) keeps pre...
See how Ottawa County's animal hoarding rules stack up against other locations.
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