See Why Giving Up A Pet Could Lead to Jail Time
Recently we told you the story of a dog that had been beaten and left to freeze to death on the side of the road in Lansing. We talked about how tragic it seemed considering how many places there are that will care for pets.
But a viewer called us and said, "Not so fast." She said it's not always easy to find someone to care for an unwanted pet.
We dug a little deeper and found some surprising rules and trends. Here's tonight's Fact Finder Report.
There are several organizations out there dedicated to unwanted pets.
The main ones are Humane Societies and Animal Control and they sit on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Humane Societies like Cherryland in Grand Traverse County take pets that people can no longer care for, but they admit they can't take them all of the animals that come through their doors.
Cherryland Humane Society Director Mike Cherry says, "We do try to take animals when we can."
The Humane Society only accepts adoptable animals, not animals that are too vicious or too sick to be placed in new homes. He says the shelter just doesn't have the room or the resources.
Cherry says, "not only the Cherryland Humane Society, but other Humane Societies with open admissions are very full there are times where it's very difficult to take animals."
In fact the Little Traverse Bay Humane Society in Emmet County has a waiting list for people who want to leave their pets.
Also these kinds of shelters do not accept strays. That's where the county run animal control comes into the picture. And while the ordinance says Animal Control will try and turn adoptable animals to other organizations, the remaining animals are destroyed if not claimed by owners within a week.
Last year In Grand Traverse County, Animal Control took in 308 animals, 116 were redeemed to owners.
And here's something I found really interesting, while the Humane Society can't accept strays, Animal Control can't accept pets. And if a person turns in an animal that's a pet, but claims it's a stray, that person can be charged with filing a false police report! And it happens! I talked with Emmet County Sheriff Pete Wallin and while he couldn't give me the exact number, he says it happens all the time and in fact it's started happening a lot more often with the downturn in the economy as more people just couldn't afford to keep their pets. They have even investigated these false stray claims across county lines.
If you are convicted of this crime it could land you 93 days behind bars and a $500 fine.
Grand Traverse Animal Control officers cannot find a record of pursing these kinds of charges.
Animal Control ordinances can vary by county. Here are links to Grand Traverse and Emmet Counties.
So what do you think about this?
There are other organizations that can help. Northern Michigan's Pet Friends Magazine has a list.
