Michigan is poised to allow animal shelters to run criminal background checks on would-be adopters to screen out convicted animal abusers.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley signed into law bills that permit shelters to run criminal background checks on would-be adoptive cat and dog parents, according to the International Business Times.
“An animal control shelter or animal protection shelter may consider an individual’s criminal history when deciding whether to allow that individual to adopt an animal,” one of the bills reads. Democratic state Rep. Harvey Santana was one of the sponsors.
The bills allow Michigan shelters to conduct a criminal background check using the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT).
Earlier versions of the bills required a criminal background check, but the legislation was watered down during the recent lame duck session, according to the Detroit Free Press.
This measure is similar to legislation that was proposed and denied in 2013. The legislation was called “Logan’s Law,” after a Siberian husky died when his owner poured acid on his face while caged in a kennel.
