Animal hoarding is treated as cruelty and neglect under Michigan law and is investigated by Macomb County Animal Control. Failing to provide adequate care jeopardizes an animal's health; cases involving 25 or more animals carry felony-level penalties, and the county can confiscate animals through a show-cause hearing.
Michigan's cruelty statute (MCL 750.50) requires every owner to provide adequate care — sufficient food, water, shelter, sanitary conditions, exercise, and veterinary attention to keep an animal in good health — and hoarding is treated as failure to provide that care. The county's Best Practices adopt the MCL 750.50 adequate-care standard and empower Animal Control to capture stray, abused, or neglected animals and to hold animals confiscated for neglect pending a show-cause hearing, which must occur within 14 days before a judge. Under state law, a violation involving 25 or more animals, or a person with three or more prior neglect convictions, is a felony punishable by up to 7 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
Neglecting animals so their health is jeopardized is a crime; penalties scale with the number of animals and prior convictions, reaching felony status at 25 or more animals. Confiscated animals are held pending a show-cause hearing within 14 days.
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