LANSING, Mich., March 4, 2020 — State Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown) introduced House Bill 5577 yesterday in order to protect Michigan dogs during periods of extreme weather. Camilleri’s bill would prevent dogs from being tied up and left outside for more than 30 minutes when temperatures exceed 90 degrees or fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
“In the freezing winter months, we hear too often of unnecessary deaths when dogs are left outside,” said Camilleri. “Unlike many other states, Michigan doesn’t have any laws to prevent pets from being left out in extreme conditions, and this bill would finally address this issue and add much-needed protections for defenseless animals across our state.”
Although there are currently no Michigan laws prohibiting owners from leaving dogs outside in extreme temperatures, states like Nevada, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts have all enacted specific weather-related statutes. Camilleri’s bill closely mirrors Libre’s Law in Pennsylvania, which was enacted in 2017 to better protect dogs in dangerous weather conditions.
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