Animals; confining on railroad cars.
MCL 750.51
in effect750.51. Animals; confining on railroad cars.
Sec. 51.
Confining animals on railroad cars—No railroad company, in the carrying or transportation of animals, shall permit the same to be confined in cars for a longer period than 36 consecutive hours without unloading the same for rest, water, and feeding, for a period of at least 5 consecutive hours, unless prevented from so unloading by storm, or other accidental causes. In estimating such confinement, the time during which the animals have been confined without rest, on connecting roads from which they are received shall be included, it being the intention to prevent their continuous confinement beyond the period of 36 hours, except on contingencies hereinbefore stated. Animals so unloaded shall be properly fed, watered, and sheltered during such rest, by the owner or person having the custody thereof, or, in case of his default in so doing, then the railroad company transporting the same, at the expense of said owner or person in custody thereof; and said company shall in such case have a lien upon such animals for food, care and custody furnished, and shall not be liable for any detention of such animals.
Any company, owner or custodian of such animals, who shall fail to comply with the provisions of this section, shall, for each and every such offense, be liable for, and forfeit, and pay a penalty of not less than 100 dollars nor more than 500 dollars: Provided, however, That when animals shall be carried in cars in which they can and do have proper food, water, space and opportunity for rest, the foregoing provisions in regard to their being unloaded shall not apply.
1931, Act 328, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931; CL 1948, 750.51
[FormerLaw] See section 4 of Act 70 of 1877, being How., § 9394; CL 1897, § 11742; CL 1915, § 15538; Act 14 of 1919; and CL 1929, § 17069.
Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-750-51Fetched: 10/20/2026