Washtenaw County has no dedicated hoarding ordinance, but Michigan's animal-cruelty law requires adequate care for every animal and escalates penalties sharply with the number of animals neglected, effectively targeting hoarding situations.
Hoarding cases in Washtenaw County are handled through Michigan's cruelty and neglect statute (MCL 750.50), enforced with the Humane Society of Huron Valley, which runs county animal control. The law requires owners and custodians to provide adequate care, meaning sufficient food, water, shelter, sanitary conditions, exercise, and veterinary attention. Penalties scale by the number of animals: neglecting a single animal is a 93-day misdemeanor, while 25 or more animals is a felony carrying up to seven years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Courts may bar future animal ownership and order the owner to pay care costs, which is how large-scale hoarding is typically prosecuted.
Neglect penalties range from a 93-day misdemeanor (one animal) up to a 7-year felony and $10,000 fine (25+ animals) under MCL 750.50, plus possible ownership bans.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washtenaw County, MI
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See how Washtenaw County's animal hoarding rules stack up against other locations.
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