West Bloomfield, MI Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Only adjudicated dangerous dogs, not all pets
- Method
- Tattoo or microchip, Sec. 7-22(f)(1)
- Cost
- Borne by the dog's owner
- Placement
- Between shoulder blades or upper inner left rear thigh
- Registry
- Michigan Dept. of Agriculture, MCL 287.301-.308
Summary
West Bloomfield Township has no general pet-microchipping mandate. The only ID requirement sits in Sec. 7-22(f)(1): a district court may order the owner of a dog adjudicated dangerous, but not fatal, to have it tattooed or microchipped at the owner's expense as a condition of avoiding destruction.
(f)If the district court magistrate or district court judge finds that a dog is a dangerous dog but has not caused serious injury or death to a person or has not caused serious injury or death to a dog or domesticated animal, the district court magistrate or district court shall ... order the owner of that dog to do one (1) or more of the following:(1)Have an identification number, either tattooed upon the dog and/or by insertion of a microchip under the skin between the shoulder blades of the dog, at the owner's expense, by or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The identification number shall be assigned to the dog by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and shall be noted in its records pursuant to Act No. 309 of the Public Acts of 1939, being MCL 287.301 to 287.308.
Full Breakdown
This provision only applies after a court has already found a dog to be a 'dangerous dog' under Sec. 7-22, but one that has not caused serious injury or death to a person or another animal. Rather than order destruction outright, Sec. 7-22(f) lets the district court magistrate or district court order the owner to do one or more of six things, and the first listed option is permanent identification: a tattoo and/or an implanted microchip placed between the dog's shoulder blades, done by or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and paid for by the owner.
The identification number must be assigned by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and recorded under the state's dog law, MCL 287.301 to 287.308; if a tattoo is used instead of a chip, it must go on the upper inner left rear thigh in indelible ink. The remaining options in Sec. 7-22(f)(2)-(6), escape-proof enclosure, sterilization, muzzling, liability insurance, or any other protective step, can be ordered in place of or alongside the ID requirement. This is a narrow, case-by-case remedy tied to a dangerous-dog adjudication, not a rule requiring every dog owner in the township to microchip a pet, and West Bloomfield's code contains no separate general microchipping ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Failure to comply with a court's Sec. 7-22(f) order, including the identification requirement, exposes the owner to the sanctions under Sec. 7-23: a municipal civil infraction with fines of $150.00 for a first offense and $300.00 for a repeat, escalating to a criminal misdemeanor if the underlying dangerous dog bit or attacked a person, with penalties up to 93 days in jail and a $500.00 fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to microchip my dog in West Bloomfield Township?
Who pays for the court-ordered microchip?
What if I ignore the court's chipping order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Bloomfield
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