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Detroit council approves ban on selling dogs, cats at pet shops in city

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Detroit council approves ban on selling dogs, cats at pet shops in city


Detroit is banning the sale of dogs and cats at retail pet stores in the city, under a new ordinance the city council approved Tuesday.

In a unanimous vote, the council approved the measure, which still allows breeders to still sell dogs and cats directly to the public. Pet stores also could work with animal adoption groups to sell rescued animals.

“This is just one step in the right direction,” said Councilwoman Angela Whitfield Calloway, who introduced the ordinance.

Detroit doesn’t have any retail pet shops that currently sell dogs and cats, but supporters said the measure is preventative in case an operator does want to open in the city. It prevents retail shops from selling dogs and cats that may not be bred by responsible breeders.

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“This is not banning breeding,” said Ariel Lefkovits, a public policy specialist who focuses on puppy mills for the Humane Society of the United States, who addressed the council before Tuesday’s vote. “This is not banning the sale of dogs or cats to the public. It’s only affecting pet stores.”

Lefkovits said there’s nothing at the state level that prevents a puppy mill in a Midwestern state from shipping their puppies into a store in Michigan, which is why cities can step in.

“We are working and fighting for regulations at the state level. That also takes time,” she said. “The cities have this power and responsibility to say, ‘We’re going to protect our own community.’”

Detroit is the latest Michigan community to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats. Eastpointe, Royal and 9 other Michigan communities also have bans in place.

Some councilmembers asked questions about enforcement and other ways to make sure pet stores were only selling dogs and cats from responsible breeders or were taking care of animals properly. But in the end, the entire council voted in favor of the ordinance.

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“Everyone may not want a rescue dog through the humane society,” said Council President Mary Waters. “They may want to go to a pet shop. But how do we ensure that if a pet shop wanted to open, that those dogs that are sold have come from a licensed breeder?”

Lefkovits said even if a breeder is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, those standards of care are “very minimal” and enforcement isn’t enough. Even when inspectors go in and issue citations, “there’s not meaningful enforcement happening.”

Waters supported the ordinance but said more work needs to be done because the measure doesn’t address the root issues at stake.

Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero called for the creation of a taskforce to address the city’s broader issues with breeders and strays.

“We have organizations that are addressing the issues that we deal with in the city of Detroit every single day and they’re doing it alone. We should be able to help you fill in the gaps,” she said. “…But this highlights the need for us to address the real issues in the city.”

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Detroit, MI

Black mold, dead bugs, and spoiled food found at Detroit child care center

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Black mold, dead bugs, and spoiled food found at Detroit child care center


The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Care in Detroit

A child care center in Detroit had its license suspended after spoiled food, no working hot water, noxious smells, dead bugs, and other unpleasant conditions were observed by a consultant from the state’s Child Care Licensing Bureau.

A complaint against Martin Luther King Jr. Day Care was received by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential in January and an inspection was conducted a week later.

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As of Jan. 29, the facility is not allowed to operate a child care center. 

The backstory:

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Two weeks before having its license suspended, a consultant from the state visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Care center on Appoline Street after a complaint was filed on Jan. 16.

A teacher told FOX 2 at the time there was no working heat in the building and parents were pulling their kids from the preschool due to the freezing temperatures.

School officials pushed back, saying the heat had been inspected and was working. The Wayne Regional Education Service Agency, which funds the facility, said they were working to verify if the heat was on. 

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Around the same time, MiLEAP’s child care bureau was notified of unsafe conditions within the center, as well as an “obnoxious smell” from the basement kitchen, no cleaning supplies in the building, rotten food, and spoiled milk being serviced to children.

The child care center is operated by the Antioch Church of God in Christ at 16827 Appoline in Detroit. It first received a license in 1989.

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What they’re saying:

Six days after receiving the complaint, a licensing consultant conducted an onsite inspection of the center, as well as interviews with staff at the program.

The consultant’s Jan. 23 visit uncovered several concerning elements, including:

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  • Missing required postings including emergency preparedness, crisis management plans, and menus
  • Napping area for infants that had not been pre-approved
  • Damaged cribs for toddlers to sleep in
  • Spaces used by children and classrooms with a “strong, cold draft”
  • Expired food and an “unknown liquid substance” in refrigerators, yellow-stained water from a dispenser, and raw chicken served for lunch

In interviews with staff, one told the inspector that children had gotten sick from drinking milk served to them, while another pointed out a towel they had placed in the front of the door to stop a sewage odor from seeping into the classroom.

Children also had to wear winter coats in one classroom due to the cold temperatures inside.

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When the inspector returned to the facility a day later, none of the expired food in the kitchen had been removed.

Black mold and dead bugs were also found in the kitchen.

What’s next:

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The child care bureau found the public health, safety, and welfare of those at the child care center required “emergency action” and a suspension of the facility’s license was needed.

The suspension went into effect Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. and the licensee was responsible for informing parents that they could no longer provide care.

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A hearing before an administrative law judge will take place while the Antioch Church of God in Christ is allowed to appeal the suspension.

DetroitCrime and Public SafetyKids Health and Safety



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Detroit, MI

Macomb County issues public health emergency after sewage pipe breaks

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Macomb County issues public health emergency after sewage pipe breaks


Macomb County issues public health emergency after sewage pipe breaks – CBS Detroit

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The Macomb County Health Department issued a public health advisory after sewage leaked in Washington Township and into the Middle Branch Clinton River.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit man to stand trial for assault on police officer

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Detroit man to stand trial for assault on police officer


A 19-year-old Detroit man accused of dragging a police officer while fleeing on the city’s west side last month has been ordered to stand trial, officials said Tuesday.

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said a 36th District Court judge bound over Raymonte Darrell Adams for trial in the county circuit court on Jan. 15. His trial is scheduled to begin on March 17, according to its records.

Adams’ attorney was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

Authorities allege Adams was behind the wheel of a car used in a Dec. 10 assault of a Detroit police officer on the city’s northwest side.

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Police said the incident happened at about 11:40 p.m. in the 19300 block of Saint Mary’s Street near Seven Mile and Greenfield roads.

They said officers conducted a traffic stop on Adams’ vehicle and during their meeting, he allegedly drove toward them in an attempt to flee. Officers fired their weapons at the vehicle, striking Adams multiple times. However, the vehicle continued to travel, allegedly striking a police officer and dragging him, according to authorities.

A short time later, investigators found Adams with gunshot wounds lying in the roadway in the 19400 block of Rutherford Street, about two-tenths of a mile from the traffic stop. Medics took him to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.

Four days later, the prosecutor’s office charged Adams for his role in the incident with assault with intent to murder, third-degree fleeing and eluding as well as resisting and obstructing a police officer.

If convicted, he faces up to life in prison for the assault with intent to murder charge, up to five years for third-degree fleeing and eluding and up to four years for the resisting a police officer charge.

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Two weeks ago, another Detroit police officer was injured after being dragged by a car fleeing a traffic stop on the city’s east side.

Last May, a Sterling Heights man was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly dragging a deputy U.S. Marshal who was trying to arrest him.

In March, a man was arrested after dragging Marshals with a car and crashing into a Warren hotel.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

@CharlesERamirez

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