House Bill 4645 Needs To be Passed for the Safety of ALL Loved Ones in the Home!

Michigan House Bill 4645 (introduced in the 103rd Legislature) seeks to revise the state's criminal sentencing guidelines by explicitly including companion animals alongside human victims for aggravated physical abuse and cruelty. 

Current Michigan laws regarding animal cruelty are failing because, while felonies exist for severe abuse, the state's sentencing guidelines do not score crimes against companion animals as violence. House Bill 4645 closes this loophole, providing increased safety for communities by treating violent animal cruelty with the seriousness it deserves. [1, 2, 3]

They also lack:
Lack of Mandatory Incarceration: Even though Michigan law sets maximum penalties of up to 10 years for first-degree animal cruelty, the current guidelines rarely generate actual jail or prison time for abusers unless they have prior records or are habitual offenders.

Disconnect Between Intent and Outcome: Because animals are not scored as physical victims in the standard sentencing metrics, there is no automatic point system to trigger harsher, appropriate sentences for offenders, even in cases of severe brutality. [1, 2, 3]

Link to Human Violence: Failing to adequately penalize animal abusers overlooks the well-documented "link" between animal cruelty and domestic violence/human abuse, leaving vulnerable family members and communities at greater, unmitigated risk. The 'lack of link' to human violence is absurd when we have had many proven cases over the years. The time is now to call our representatives and ACT. 

- Jeffrey Dahmer: Before murdering and dismembering 17 men and boys, the infamous "Milwaukee Cannibal" started torturing and mutilating animals, often collecting animal bones and impaling the heads of frogs and cats on sticks.

-Ted Bundy: The serial killer and rapist who confessed to over 30 murders reportedly began in his childhood by tormenting small animals, such as cats and dogs.

-Dennis Rader (The BTK Killer): Responsible for 10 murders, the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) killer confessed to starting his violent tendencies during youth by hanging and strangling local cats and dogs. 

-Albert DeSalvo (The Boston Strangler): Convicted of killing 13 women, DeSalvo abused animals as a child by trapping stray cats and dogs in boxes and using them for archery target practice. 

-Edmund Kemper: Known as the "Co-Ed Killer", he displayed severe animal cruelty by torturing insects and burying a cat alive before escalating to the murder of his grandparents and mother. 

-David Berkowitz (Son of Sam): The prolific killer and arsonist who terrorized New York City started on his path to infamy by torturing animals and shooting a neighbor's dog before targeting humans. 

Approving House Bill 4645 protects our families, the state, and most importantly, animals whom we treat as family by:

• Scoring Companion Animals as Victims: The legislation (as part of a broader seven-bill package) amends the criminal procedure code to score companion animals as victims of aggravated physical abuse.
• Assigning Point Values: It mandates that judges assign specific points for egregious conduct, sadism, torture, or excessive brutality against animals. [1]
• Sentencing Points: It modifies Offense Variable 7 to assign up to 50 points if a victim or companion animal is treated with sadism, torture, or excessive brutality designed to substantially increase fear and anxiety. 
• Definition of Sadism: "Sadism" is defined as conduct that inflicts extreme or prolonged pain or humiliation intended to produce suffering or for the offender’s gratification. [1]
• Deterrence and Real Penalties: Officially integrating companion animals into the sentencing guidelines ensures that offenders face realistic, meaningful jail time rather than just probation, thereby deterring future violence and removing dangerous individuals from society. [1]
• Tie-Bar Conditions: The bill will not take effect unless related bills, specifically House Bill 4646 and House Bill 4651, are also passed into law.

Passing House Bill 4645 (part of a bipartisan, seven-bill legislative package reintroduced by the Michigan Legislature) directly benefits Michiganders by closing gaps in the justice system that put local families, neighborhoods, and companion animals at risk. 

• Increases Safety for Human Victims:
  • Intervenes in the Cycle of Violence: Extensive criminal justice research confirms a direct link between animal abuse and domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. By imposing jail time on animal abusers earlier, the state can remove dangerous individuals from homes before their violence escalates to human victims.
  • Identifies High-Risk Offenders: The scoring mechanism flags individuals who exhibit extreme cruelty, providing law enforcement and prosecutors with a clearer record of a perpetrator’s volatility.
• Closes Sentencing Loopholes:
  • Ensures Real Consequences: Currently, felony animal abuse rarely results in incarceration because the crimes are not weighted heavily in state sentencing metrics. HB 4645 ensures offenders face actual jail or prison time rather than simple probation.
  • Holds Brutality Accountable: Judges will be legally required to add points to an offender’s sentencing score if an animal was treated with sadism, torture, or excessive brutality. 
• Protects Families and Their Pets:
  • Recognizes Pets as Family Members: The law formally updates the criminal procedure code to acknowledge companion animals as distinct victims of aggravated physical abuse. This aligns state statutes with how the vast majority of Michiganders view their household pets. 
  • Establishes Community Deterrence: Stricter, guaranteed legal consequences serve as a powerful deterrent against neighborhood animal abuse, dogfighting operations, and severe neglect.
• Relieves Burdens on Public Resources:
  • Saves Local Taxpayer Dollars: Prolonged legal battles involving animal hoarding or abuse syndicates leave local municipal shelters caring for animals for months at a time. Stronger sentencing parameters help expedite resolutions in the court system, saving county budgets and shelter resources.

Talking to your State Representatives can make a major impact and change this summer. Don't let this bill fail; this is not just for the safety of our pets, but for the safety of our community and the children in it. The parallels are too close to stand by and do nothing. Contact your State Representative today!

• (517) 373-0154 Contact Rep. T. Carter
• (517) 373-1776 Contact Rep. Liberati
• (517) 373-0144 Contact Rep. Farhat
• (517) 373-1008 Contact Rep. Whitsett
• (517) 373-0844 Contact Rep. Price
• (517) 373-0847 Contact Rep. Byrnes
• (517) 373-0843 Contact Rep. Carra
• (517) 373-0827 Contact Rep. Andrews
• (517) 373-1799 Contact Rep. Wendzel
• (517) 373-8670 Contact Rep. Morse
• (517) 373-1783 Contact Rep. Rogers
• (517) 373-1784 Contact Rep. Hall
• (517) 373-2577 Contact Rep. B. Carter
• (517) 373-1785 Contact Rep. Aragona *
• (517) 373-0853 Contact Rep. BeGole
• (517) 373-2668 Contact Rep. Tsernoglou *
• (517) 373-0822 Contact Rep. Witwer
• (517) 373-2277 Contact Rep. Dievendorf
• (517) 373-1796 Contact Rep. Johnsen *
• (517) 373-1403 Contact Rep. Rigas *
• (517) 373-0158 Contact Rep. Beson
• (517) 373-8962 Contact Rep. Bierlein
• (517) 373-1791 Contact Rep. Alexander
• (517) 373-3817 Contact Rep. Coffia
• (517) 373-0833 Contact Rep. Cavitt

General House Switchboard: You can reach the main switchboard for the Michigan House of Representatives by calling (517) 373-0135