Sec. 4.
(1) A person shall not possess 1 or more large carnivores unless all of the following apply:
(a) The person owns the large carnivores.
(b) The person was in possession of those individual large carnivores on the effective date of this act.
(c) The person applies for a permit for those large carnivores within 90 days after the effective date of this act and obtains a permit for those large carnivores. The permit applies only to those individual large carnivores. 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 large carnivores 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 large carnivores 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 large carnivores 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 large carnivores 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 large carnivores are kept.
(3) An applicant for a permit shall include with the application both 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:
(i) Twenty-five dollars, or at the option of the local unit if the applicant keeps more than 1 large carnivore in that local unit, $25.00 for each large carnivore.
(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 large carnivores owned by the applicant.
(ii) Describes in detail each large carnivore 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 large carnivore, if known.
(c) A written statement giving the name and address of the veterinarian who is expected to provide veterinary care to the large carnivore, signed by the veterinarian.
(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 large carnivore or prohibiting the ownership or possession of a large carnivore.
(e) The facility and the conditions in which each large carnivore will be kept comply with this act.
(f) The applicant is knowledgeable about the large carnivore'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 large carnivore will be kept, if different from that of the permit holder.
(b) The number of large carnivores owned by the permit holder.
(c) The identification number of each large carnivore required under section 5.
(d) The name and address of the veterinarian who is expected to provide veterinary care to the large carnivore.
(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 large carnivores owned by the permit holder.
(7) The owner of a large carnivore shall annually pay the local unit the annual permit fee established under subsection (3)(a).
History: 2000, Act 274, Imd. Eff. July 7, 2000