Stray Hold Law and HB 4915

For pet owners in Michigan, you may not be aware of a change in the enforcement of the stray hold law.  The Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) explains the issues very well here.  They urge people to contact their representative to tell them how important having a stray hold law is, both for pets and pet owners.  I adapted the HSHV explanation (below) and emailed my representative.  I urge others to do the same!

Dear Representative X,

The stray hold law ensures that owners have a chance to find their lost companion animal.  Without a stray hold law, an animal entering a shelter can be immediately adopted, transferred to another facility/group, or put to death without giving owners even one day to find their lost pet.  And even if owners find their lost pet in a shelter, without a stray hold law, the shelter has no obligation to return them to their rightful owners.  

Following MDARD’s announcement, Michigan now stands nearly alone in the absence of a state mandated stray hold.  I firmly believe in the importance of stray hold times as a basic and essential protection for pets and their owners.  Right now many pets and pet owners are now in a precarious position.

HB 4915 was introduced by Representative Mike McCready to help rectify this issue.  While we desperately need this bill, I oppose it in its current state based on two serious flaws:   

1)    Cats as second-class pets:  The bill reduces stray hold times to “zero days” for cats that are “candidates for adoption or sterilization programs.”  Though I strongly support a bill that promotes Trap, Neuter and Return -- where unowned cats are sterilized and returned to their original location -- as the only proven effective means of reducing overpopulation, the vague use of the word “candidate” leaves the option to euthanize stray cats at intake, as sadly many Michigan shelters would still prefer to do.  Further, I believe “adoptable” cats, like dogs, should also be held for the minimum hold times of 4 or 7 days to give owners a chance to find them.

The hold time for both dogs and cats should be the same, and support clear provisions for sterilization programs that return cats to their original location.  Even if a lost cat is mistaken for an outdoor/feral cat, returning them to their original location is more likely to help them to get back home.  One study found that cats left mainly to their own devices are 13 times more likely to find their way back home than those that end up at a shelter. 

2)    Wide discretion to euthanize before hold times have expired:  The bill also states that “(A) AN ANIMAL THAT WOULD BE SUBJECTED TO UNDUE SUFFERING” can be immediately euthanized.   The language here gives too much discretion to shelters to define “suffering.”  Many common or treatable conditions such as fear, arthritis, blindness, contagious disease, or old age could be used as justification to immediately put a lost animal (dog or cat) to death, without regard to hold times. 

I recommend a definition of suffering as suggested by Nathan Winograd, Director of the No-Kill Advocacy Center. “Irremediable physical suffering" means an animal who has a poor or grave prognosis for being able to live without severe unremitting pain even with comprehensive, prompt, and necessary veterinary care, as determined by a veterinarian licensed to practice in the state.”    

Respecting and promoting the loving bond between people and their companion animals should be at the core of animal sheltering work.  Basic stray hold times applied consistently to both dogs and cats, and clear definitions around justification for euthanasia provide important protections to both people and animals.  I want to see increased adoptions and sterilizations, and the elimination of unnecessary shelter euthanasia across the state—not stripping families of the right to reclaim their lost animals.

Please make these changes to HB 4915 and then pass the bill ASAP to ensure that Michigan pets and pet owners are protected.  My pets (cats and dogs) are beloved members of my family.  I want to see stray hold laws applied equally to both dogs and cats, allowance for responsible TNR, and well-defined reasons for euthanizing an animal before their stray hold time is up.