Creates the Animal Welfare Fund to provide funds to promote sterilization and adoption of dogs and cats, to improve knowledge of the proper care of animals pursuant to state animal anticruelty laws by educating the public and training personnel authorized by law to enforce state animal anticruelty laws, to support and enhance programs that provide for the care and protection of animals pursuant to state anticruelty laws, and to allow the purchase of equipment and supplies for programs that receive grants.

Enhances animal cruelty penalties. 

H.B. 4741 allows an individual to petition the family division of circuit court to enter a personal protection order to restrain or enjoin

• a spouse or former spouse,
• an individual with whom he or she has had a child,
• an individual whom he or she has dated, or
• an individual residing or having resided in the same household with the petitioner,

who has injured, killed, tortured, neglected or threatened to injure, kill, torture or neglect an animal in the petitioner's possession.

H.B. 4742  makes a person who:

• willfully, maliciously, and without just cause or excuse kills, tortures, mutilates, maims, or disfigures an animal, or
• willfully and maliciously and without just cause or excuse administers poison to an animal, or
• exposes an animal to any poisonous substance other for therapeutic veterinary medical purposes, with the intent that the substance be taken or swallowed by the animal,

as the means of perpetrating an act of domestic violence, guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than six years or a fine of not more than $7,500, or both.

H.B. 4743 adds the crime of killing or torturing animals in perpetration of domestic violence to the criminal code.

Adds the sexual abuse of animals to the list of crimes for which one must register as a sexual offender. 

Prohibit research facilities or dealer obtaining dogs or cats from an animal control shelter or animal protection shelter and regulate the purchase and sale of random source animals. 

>> Action Alert! Michigan: Ban Pound Seizure & Class B Dealers

Provides that a person's affection for or humanitarian purpose in acquiring animals is not a defense to animal cruelty. 

Makes it a class F felony to own a dangerous animal who kills a person.

Provides for penalties for engaging, soliciting, or possessing items that depict animal fighting and for recording, baiting, or shooting an animal.