Royal Oak, MI Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Adopted 6-10-2019 by Ordinance No. 2019-07 as Article V of Chapter 195, § 195-36 bars any RETAIL PET STORE, defined in § 195-35 as a commercial establishment selling animals to the general public at retail, from selling or offering for sale a dog, cat, rabbit or ferret in the City of Royal Oak, notwithstanding any other provision of law. OFFER FOR SALE is defined broadly to include exchanging for consideration, advertising for sale, bartering, auctioning or giving away the animal. The article carves out one arrangement: a retail pet store may provide space inside its premises to an animal control shelter, as defined under MCLA § 287.331(f), or to a qualifying ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION, defined in § 195-35 as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) that rescues and places animals and does not breed them, so the public can adopt from that shelter or rescue on-site.

The exception is conditioned strictly: the store may not hold any ownership interest in the animals displayed and may not receive any fee, whether for providing the space or for facilitating an adoption. The rescue definition closes a loophole for breeder-supplied 'rescues': an entity does not qualify if it shares a premises or personnel with a person who breeds dogs, cats, rabbits or ferrets as defined under MCLA § 287.331(q), obtains animals from such a breeder, or facilitates sales of animals obtained from one. The ordinance does not regulate breeders directly, defined by reference to MCLA § 287.891(5), and does not restrict private sales between individuals; it targets only commercial storefront retailers.