Hit One of These 12 Animals in Michigan? You Have to Report It

We’ve all been there, driving down a quiet Michigan road, minding our own business, and then out of nowhere, bam! You blast into an animal. It’s never a fun situation, and in many cases, it can be downright scary.

Sometimes, in these situations, we aren't thinking clearly and can go into panic mode, which makes it easy to forget what to do next. One thing you need to do is take a few deep breaths, gather your thoughts, and suck it up because you have a legal obligation.

While you may be in freak-out mode at this point, you have to call the authorities to report what just happened. Depending on the situation and the kind of animal that you hit, there are different steps to take.

Related: A Deer Got Hit and Landed in Your Michigan Yard—Now What?

For example, if you hit a deer with your car, you're not necessarily required by law to report it, but you are if you want to keep it or if you need to for insurance purposes.

Before we get to the list of animals that require you to report them, let’s clear up a few things. Not every animal needs to be called in. For example, if you hit a squirrel, possum, or a raccoon, there’s no legal requirement to report it. But if you hit certain protected or larger animals, that’s a whole different story.

I think it goes without saying that if you hit a domestic animal like a dog or cat, you need to stop and pull over; otherwise, you could face criminal charges. In most states, including Michigan, it’s against the law to hit a domestic animal and keep driving without reporting it. I mean, come on, it's the right thing to do.