Sec. 4.

(1) A person shall not possess 1 or more wolf-dog crosses unless all of the following apply:

(a) The person owns the wolf-dog crosses or has temporarily been given possession of the wolf-dog crosses by the owner.

(b) The owner was in possession of those individual wolf-dog crosses on the effective date of this act.

(c) The owner applies for a permit for those wolf-dog crosses within 4 months after the effective date of this act, and obtains a permit for those wolf-dog crosses. The permit applies only to those individual wolf-dog crosses. The permit is not transferable to another person except through testate or intestate succession. The permit is valid in any local unit in which the possession of the wolf-dog cross is not prohibited by ordinance.

(2) A person shall file an application for a permit with the person specified by the first of the following subdivisions that applies:

(a) If the wolf-dog crosses are kept in a city or village and the city or village employs an animal control officer, with the city or village agency to which the animal control officer is assigned.

(b) If the wolf-dog crosses are kept in a township and the township employs an animal control officer, with the township agency to which the animal control officer is assigned.

(c) If the county in which the wolf-dog crosses are kept employs an animal control officer, with the county agency to which the animal control officer is assigned.

(d) If subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) do not apply, with the county sheriff of the county where the wolf-dog crosses are kept.

(3) An applicant for a permit shall include with the application all of the following:

(a) An annual permit fee. The annual permit fee shall be established by the governing body of the local unit whose agency issues the permit under subsection (2) and shall be not less than the greater of the following 2 amounts:

(i) Twenty-five dollars, or at the option of the local unit if the applicant keeps more than 1 wolf-dog cross in that local unit, $25.00 for each wolf-dog cross.

(ii) An amount necessary to cover the local unit's actual, reasonable costs of enforcing this act.

(b) A written statement that does all of the following:

(i) Specifies the number of wolf-dog crosses owned by the applicant.

(ii) Describes in detail each wolf-dog cross owned by the applicant, including, but not limited to, its identification number required under section 5.

(iii) Specifies the name, address, and telephone number of the person from whom the owner obtained the wolf-dog cross, if known.

(c) A certificate signed by a veterinarian that the wolf-dog cross has been sexually sterilized.

(4) A local unit shall not issue a permit unless it finds that all of the following apply:

(a) The requirements of subsections (1), (2), and (3) are met.

(b) The applicant is 21 years of age or older.

(c) The applicant has not been convicted of or found responsible for violating a local ordinance or state law prohibiting neglect or mistreatment of an animal and has not within the past 10 years been convicted of a felony.

(d) The applicant is not subject to a court order requiring the forfeiture of a wolf-dog cross or prohibiting the ownership or possession of a wolf-dog cross.

(e) The facility and the conditions in which each wolf-dog cross will be kept comply with this act.

(f) The applicant is knowledgeable about the wolf-dog cross's disposition and care requirements.

(5) A permit shall set forth all of the following:

(a) The name and address of the permit holder and the address where each wolf-dog cross will be kept, if different from that of the permit holder.

(b) The number of wolf-dog crosses owned by the permit holder.

(c) The identification number of each wolf-dog cross required under section 5.

(d) The name, address, and signature of the veterinarian who is expected to provide veterinary care to the wolf-dog cross.

(e) Any other reasonable information as determined by the local unit, which may include, but need not be limited to, a designation of permits required by a local unit, the department, the department of community health, the department of natural resources, the United States department of agriculture, or the fish and wildlife service of the United States department of the interior.

(6) A local unit that issues a permit shall notify the department of the name and address of the permit holder and the number of wolf-dog crosses owned by the permit holder.

(7) The owner of a wolf-dog cross shall annually pay the local unit the annual permit fee established under subsection (3)(a).

History: 2000, Act 246, Imd. Eff. June 29, 2000