750.50c Police dog or police horse; definitions; violation as felony or misdemeanor; penalty; other violations.

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Sec. 50c.

(1)As used in this section:

(a)"Dog handler" means a peace officer who has successfully completed training in the handling of a police dog pursuant to a policy of the law enforcement agency that employs that peace officer.

(b)"Physical harm" means any injury to a dog's or horse's physical condition.

(c)"Police dog" means a dog used by a law enforcement agency of this state or of a local unit of government of this state that is trained for law enforcement work and subject to the control of a dog handler.

(d)"Police horse" means a horse used by a law enforcement agency of this state or of a local unit of government of this state for law enforcement work.

(e)"Search and rescue dog" means a dog that is trained for, being trained for, or engaged in a search and rescue operation.

(f)"Search and rescue operation" means an effort conducted at the direction of an agency of this state or of a political subdivision of this state to locate or rescue a lost, injured, or deceased individual.

(g)"Serious physical harm" means any injury to a dog's or horse's physical condition or welfare that is not necessarily permanent but that constitutes substantial body disfigurement, or that seriously impairs the function of a body organ or limb.

(2)A person shall not intentionally kill or cause serious physical harm to a police dog or police horse or a search and rescue dog.

(3)A person shall not intentionally cause physical harm to a police dog or police horse or a search and rescue dog.

(4)A person shall not intentionally harass or interfere with a police dog or police horse or search and rescue dog lawfully performing its duties.

(5)A person who violates subsection

(2)is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or both.

(6)Except as provided in subsection (7), a person who violates subsection

(3)or

(4)is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.

(7)A person who violates subsection

(3)or

(4)while committing a crime is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $15,000.00, or both.

(8)This section does not prohibit an individual from being charged with, convicted of, or punished for any other violation of law committed by that individual while violating this section.

History: Add. 1994, Act 336, Eff. Apr. 1, 1995 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 672 , Eff. Mar. 31, 2003 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 517 , Imd. Eff. Dec. 29, 2006