Can I Sell Dog Treats From Home in Michigan? Cottage Food Pet Treat Rules

The Short Answer: No

Michigan's cottage food exemption does not cover pet food or pet treats. The exemption under MCL 289.4102 applies exclusively to food intended for human consumption. Dog biscuits, cat treats, and any other animal food product fall outside the exemption entirely — regardless of how shelf-stable they are.

This catches a lot of home bakers off guard. The logic seems straightforward: if you can sell dry cookies for humans, why not dry biscuits for dogs? But pet food regulation operates under an entirely different legal framework.

Why Pet Treats Are Regulated Differently

Pet food in Michigan is regulated under the Feed Law, Act No. 120, P.A. of 1975, and Commercial Feed Regulation No. 635, administered by MDARD's Animal Feed Program — not the Food and Dairy Division that handles cottage food operations.

Manufacturing pet food or treats commercially requires:

• Commercial feed license with MDARD, including product labeling review
• Facility licensing — production must occur in an inspected facility, not a residential kitchen
• Guaranteed analysis labeling showing crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and moisture percentages
• AAFCO compliance (Association of American Feed Control Officials) for ingredient definitions and labeling standards

These requirements apply whether you are making freeze-dried liver treats in small batches or mass-producing kibble. The scale does not matter — the category does.

What About "Treats" vs. "Food"?

There is no regulatory distinction that exempts treats from the rules governing pet food. A dog biscuit is pet food. A dehydrated chicken strip is pet food. A peanut butter pupcake is pet food. All of them require the applicable commercial-feed license, facility inspection, and labeling compliance.

Some states have carved out exemptions for small-scale pet treat producers. Michigan has not. Until the legislature creates one, making and selling pet treats from a home kitchen is not legally authorized.

Options If You Want to Sell Pet Treats

If you are set on building a pet treat business in Michigan, you have two legitimate paths:

Shared-use commercial kitchen: Find a licensed commercial kitchen that allows pet food production. Not all shared-use kitchens will — many food incubators restrict their space to human food to avoid cross-contamination concerns. You will need to check with specific facilities in your area.

Dedicated licensed facility: Lease or build out a space that meets MDARD inspection standards for commercial feed manufacturing. This involves facility plan review, equipment requirements, and ongoing inspection compliance.

In either case, you will need to obtain the applicable commercial-feed license from MDARD and submit labels for MDARD review, following applicable AAFCO standards — including the guaranteed analysis panel, ingredient statement, feeding directions, and your business name and address.

The Human Food Alternative

If your interest in pet treats is rooted in a general desire to sell baked goods from home, consider that the human food side of Michigan's cottage food exemption is genuinely accessible. No state cottage-food license, pre-opening inspection, or cottage-food fee. You can sell cookies, breads, granola, candy, dry mixes, and dozens of other shelf-stable products from your home kitchen under the cottage food rules.

The Michigan Cottage Food & Home Food Business Guide covers the full eligibility matrix, labeling requirements, and sales rules for human food products under the cottage food exemption — including the path to commercial licensing for when you are ready to scale.

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