TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa) filed a bill Monday aimed at protecting people from being attacked or severely injured by a dangerous dog.
Under SB 572, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services would be required to create and maintain a statewide Dangerous Dog Registry. The registry would also allow a person to search an online state database of dogs that have been declared dangerous by local animal control.
A dog is classified as "dangerous" due to an attack on a person that caused severe injury. As a result, the dog may be turned over to animal control authorities to "destroy the dog in an expeditious and humane manner."
A dog also is classified as dangerous if it approaches a person aggressively or viciously unprovoked.
However, a dog may be deemed not to be dangerous after an appeal or investigation. It also does not apply to a dog defending a person from being attacked or if the dog is being abused or tormented.
Notably, the bill does not state which dog breeds it considers to be dangerous.
Searchable information for a dangerous dog may include a current certificate of rabies vaccination and evidence if the dog has been spayed or neutered. It also would include the dog's proper identification, including its name and photo, where it is located, and the owner's name and address.
The legislation also requires dangerous dog owners to keep their pets securely confined in a proper enclosure and away from children, including proper signage.
Moreover, owners would be mandated to require liability insurance of at least $100,000 for dogs that are classified as dangerous
The bill notes the legislature found incidents of dangerous dogs to be on the rise, resulting in an increased public threat and attacks on the public. The legislature also partially blamed incidents on bad or irresponsible owners for not properly training or controlling their dogs.
The proposed legislation is named after 61-year-old Pamela Rock, a USPS mail carrier who was killed by a pack of five dogs while working in Putnam County in August of 2022.
If passed, SB 572 would take effect on July 1.
