Animals: animal shelters; cross-references to 1969 PA 287 in Michigan penal code; update. Amends sec. 49 of 1931 PA 328 (MCL 750.49).

HB 6282 updates the Michigan penal code to clarify definitions and strengthen penalties regarding the fighting, baiting, and shooting of animals. The bill explicitly prohibits owning, breeding, or organizing these activities and bans the possession of equipment used for such purposes. It also establishes specific rules for animal shelters, requiring them to sterilize or deposit funds for sterilization before adopting animals with a history of fighting. Additionally, the legislation increases criminal penalties for owners whose trained animals attack people without provocation and mandates a five-year ban on owning the same species of animal for those convicted of violations.