WARREN, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The city of Warren is reviewing significant changes to its animal ordinance, one of which is making it a crime if an animal is left unattended in a motor vehicle. That would be a misdemeanor punishable by 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.

The city council has been reviewing the changes this month.

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A person can use force to free an animal from an unattended vehicle and not be guilty of a crime as long as some stipulations are met. That person must make sure the doors are not unlocked, have a reasonable belief the animal is suffering and then stay around with the animal until a law enforcement officer shows up.

New leash on life.

Other proposed changes include a dog cannot be tethered for more than three hours total per day, two of which can be continuous. The current version states that a dog cannot be tethered for more than three continuous hours.

The memo stated, “Animal Control ran into problems because owners would untether the dog for 5 minutes and then resume another three hours of tethering.”

A person commits the crime if they knowingly hit an animal and injure it while driving and fail to report it to the owner, a peace officer of an animal care agency. It’s a $500 fine.

Bark is worse than the bite? Expect a ticket.

City enforcers can now issue a ticket for a barking dog even if they don’t witness it.

“Typically, neighbors call and complain about a dog barking causing a nuisance. By the time animal control got there, no barking could be heard. Because it was a misdemeanor citation, animal control had to observe the behavior. Making it a civil infraction will allow them to issue tickets without having witnessed the barking,” the city’s memo stated.

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The city’s animal ordinance already has rules in place that limit a resident from owning more than three cats or three dogs over the age of six months.