Battle Creek, MI Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 608.19 of the Battle Creek Codified Ordinances caps the number of animals a person can keep in the City of Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan. Subsection (a) forbids suffering, allowing or permitting more than three dogs or five cats to remain on the same or adjacent premises controlled by the person, unless the person obtains a kennel license as allowed by City zoning ordinances. A female dog or cat that has given birth is exempt for three months from the date of birth of the litter, and a properly licensed store that displays and sells dogs or cats is exempt.

A kennel is an establishment where four or more dogs or six or more cats are confined. The keeper applies to the City Treasurer for an annual kennel license in place of individual licenses, and the license specifies the maximum number of animals aged six months or older. The fee is in Section 802.24, and a previously licensed kennel that applies after June 1 pays double the original fee and its animals are considered unlicensed. The Treasurer issues metal tags equal to the number of dogs authorized, and a dog bearing a kennel tag cannot stray or be taken outside the kennel except temporarily on a leash or for hunting, breeding, trial or show.

New and renewal licenses require an inspection certificate signed by the Animal Control Department, dated within 30 days of the application, stating that the kennel meets the sanitary requirements of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, plus proof that the annual inspection fee was paid. Every kennel animal six months or older needs a valid rabies vaccination. Licensed kennels need double fencing and secured flooring, though double fencing is not required for a solid fence or when animals are kept inside the kennel building. Animal Control Officers can inspect any kennel, suspend a license for unhealthy or inhumane conditions, and revoke it if the conditions are not corrected. Subsection (l) says a kennel cannot exist in violation of zoning or health requirements.