Kent County, MI Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Section 11 of the Kent County Animal Control Ordinance, effective July 1, 2022, governs dog behavior generally rather than by breed. Section 11(c) provides that an Owner or Custodian shall not intentionally, or by failure to exercise due care, allow his/her dog or Animal to menace, attack or bite a person or other Animal in a place where the person or other Animal is legally entitled to be. The Ordinance defines 'Menace' broadly to include charging, scratching, toppling, teeth-baring, snapping, growling, or other predatory mannerisms, but it expressly excludes behavior of a dog or Animal separated from the person or other Animal by a cage, fence or other barrier, so a dog barking or lunging from behind its own yard fence is not a violation.

Section 14 layers on bite-specific duties: an owner who knows their animal bit someone must report the bite to the Animal Control Officer or Animal Shelter within twenty-four hours (by calling 911 on weekends), must produce proof of the animal's rabies vaccination on request, and the animal must be quarantined as required by State law, at the Animal Shelter, a veterinary office, or a location the Animal Control Officer designates. Section 15 sets the penalty scale: a municipal civil infraction fine of $100 for a first offense and $200 for a repeat offense within five years, plus prosecution costs, with the Kent County Sheriff's Office or Animal Control Officer authorized to issue citations and, in cases presenting imminent danger, order immediate corrective action.