The Dog The Pound Picked Up
MCL 287.388 — not within 4 days, or 7 days after notice when the dog wears identification
Four days. A pound or shelter may not sell or otherwise dispose of a dog or cat within 4 days after acquiring it.
Seven days after notice. If the dog or cat has a collar, license or other evidence of ownership, the pound notifies the owner in writing, and may not dispose of the animal within 7 days from the date the notice was mailed.
The record. The pound keeps a record of each identifiable animal, with its description, the date and circumstances it was acquired, the date notice was sent, and what became of it. The holding periods do not apply to an animal so sick or injured that holding it would cause undue suffering, or one whose owner asks for immediate disposal.
Dangerous dog proceedings, bite quarantines, and local fee schedules are set out elsewhere and are not on this page. What a particular shelter's hours or fees are is a question for that shelter or a licensed Michigan attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- MCL 287.388 — Disposition of dogs or cats; time; notice; record
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.