Bill
HB 4732
Protects police dogs, police horses, and search-and-rescue dogs from killing, serious harm, or harassment, with penalties up to 5 years for serious harm.
Status & timeline
- Introduced: March 13, 2025 (filed); committee activity April–May 2025.
- Passed the House: May 15, 2025 (read 3rd time, passed, engrossed).
- Bill electronically reproduced / re‑introduced form: July 15, 2025.
- Effective date if enacted: 90 days after the date the act is signed into law.
- Companion bills: SB 1634 and HB 4988.
Purpose / intent
- To expand and clarify criminal protections for animals used in public safety work by amending section 50c of the Michigan Penal Code (MCL 750.50c). The bill is titled as an amendatory act known as “Dozer’s law.”
Key substantive changes and provisions
- Expands the scope of protected animals to explicitly include:
- Police horses (horses used by state or local law enforcement for law enforcement work).
- Search and rescue dogs (dogs trained, being trained, or engaged in search and rescue operations directed by a state or political subdivision agency).
- Creates/clarifies several defined terms used in the section, including:
- "Dog handler" — a peace officer who has completed agency policy training in handling a police dog.
- "Physical harm" and "serious physical harm" — with "serious" defined to include substantial body disfigurement or serious impairment of an organ or limb.
- "Search and rescue operation" — an effort to locate or rescue a lost, injured, or deceased individual directed by a public agency.
- Prohibited conduct:
- Intentionally kill or cause serious physical harm to a police dog, police horse, or search and rescue dog.
- Intentionally cause physical harm to those animals.
- Intentionally harass or interfere with those animals while lawfully performing duties.
- While committing or attempting to commit a crime, a person may not kill or cause serious physical harm to such animals.
Penalties (as provided in the bill)
- Intentionally killing or causing serious physical harm (violation of subsection for serious harm): felony — up to 5 years imprisonment, or fine up to $10,000, or both.
- Intentionally causing physical harm or intentionally harassing/interfering (non‑serious): misdemeanor — up to 1 year imprisonment, or fine up to $5,000, or both.
- If the physical harm or harassment/interference occurs while committing another crime: felony — up to 2 years imprisonment, or fine up to $15,000, or both.
- Killing or causing serious physical harm while committing/attempting to commit a crime: felony — up to 2 years imprisonment, or fine up to $10,000, or both.
- The section does not preclude charging or punishing any other violation of law committed in connection with these offenses.
Who would be affected
- Law enforcement agencies, police officers (including dog handlers), mounted units, and search and rescue organizations using trained animals.
- Individuals who intentionally harm, interfere with, or harass police dogs, police horses, or search and rescue dogs.
- Prosecutors and courts applying the penal code provisions; defense counsel for persons charged under these provisions.
Notes
- The bill amends existing statutory section MCL 750.50c (as amended by 2006 PA 517) to broaden protections and specify penalties and definitions; it formalizes training-based definition for handlers and defines the scope of search and rescue work protected by the statute.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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