Muskegon County Michigan Individual Dog License

Muskegon County Michigan - OUTLAWS

Vector (Animal) Control Under the control of the Health Department. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2004 estimate, Muskegon County has a population of 174,401 in 559 square miles.

They seem quite impressed with themselves.

This is pretty cute, they even provide a link to Michigan Dog Law of 1919.

They should try reading it themselves, especially MCL 287.289a and MCL287.266 Dog licenses; application; resolution; provisions; proof of vaccination.Sec. 6.(5) ………... The county board of commissioners may set license fees in the county budget at a level sufficient to pay all the county's expenses of administering this act as it pertains to dogs. ...........

From their website.
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"In accordance with state law, Vector Control conducts the annual sale of dog licenses which must be purchased between December 1 and March 1.

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omg that wasn't enough for them:

License Fees* ---As of 10/01/07-Beginning 12/01/07
Regular dog --------------$40--------------$50
Regular dog owned by a senior citizen (> 62 years)

--------------------------$20---------------$25
Altered (neutered) dog --$10----------------$5
Puppy under 7 months --$10---------------$5

,Late dog license (After March 1)

--------------------------$80---------------$85

, *Fees subject to change

( They also set the dog licenses at $40 a year for non-sterilized dogs. I don’t know when that rate went into effect. $10 for altered animals with a senior rate of $20 for unaltered.

They had a budget of $599,514.01 for 2006. That is quite an amazing budget.

Their shelter report for 2004 lists 2087 canines, 272 felines and 1 ferret taken in. That would be right around $254 per animal based on the 2006 budget.

Their shelter report for 2005 lists 1953 canines, 236 felines and 2 ferrets taken in. That would be right around $274 per animal based on the 2006 budget.

There certainly could be some variation there, as of 2/6/07 their 2006 shelter report had not been sent in. I think it is due at the end of March. But the numbers seem to run pretty close to the same in the counties I have researched. This is a reasonable guestimate.

License/permit revenue was $437,980 making that 73% of their budget. I feel compelled to always remind that these ‘shelters’ generally take in as many or more cats as they take in dogs. That is not the case with this shelter. There are significantly fewer cats taken in. So far, nobody has separated the cost of taking care of the dogs and taking care of the cats.

The Michigan Dog Law of 1919 certainly does not allow for outrageous fees like that “at a level sufficient to pay all the county's expenses of administering this act as it pertains to dogs.”

It is 'interesting' to note:

Vector Control no longer provides dog adoption service. Any dog that is impounded and not claimed during the impound period will be made available at no charge to Lifeline for Pound Buddies, a non-profit animal rescue organizations that provides adoption services to the community.

Which means all county residents pay for these animals. While those people who actually receive such an animal pays nothing for it?)

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Muskegon County Animal/Vector Control dog licensing

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION (from their website)
Legal Requirements of Owning a Dog

Muskegon County Animal & Vector Control Ordinance(this is an Acrobat file, 20 pages……and it takes a while to download – OUTLAW ORDINANCE way over the legal limits)

Healthy Pets Healthy People (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)

National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV)

Muskegon County's “Vector Control” does work out of the Health Department and they sure want you to know they are looking out for your health.

They gonna protect you from all those diseases dogs carry.

Maybe the most useful is a private website:

http://www.balancedcaninetraining.com/

Very nicely done, lots of info about Muskegon County.