Florida bill aims to make ‘dangerous dogs’ registry, add tougher penalties for owners

By Senait Gebregiorgis

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    FLORIDA (WESH) — A new Florida bill wants to create a registry for dangerous dogs where people can check if the animals are living in their neighborhoods.

The bill would give owners tougher penalties to prevent violent or deadly attacks.

According to the Florida Department of Health, each year, more than 600 Floridians are hospitalized because of injuries from dog bites, and about two people die from it.

In August 2022, a postal worker became a victim.

Sixty-one-year-old Pamela Rock was delivering mail when she was attacked by five dogs in Putnam County. She died the next day.

State Rep. Bobby Payne (R) drafted HB 873, which would make a statewide dangerous dogs registry.

With the help of Animal Control and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the registry would keep track of violent incidents.

The proposed legislation says a dog would be classified as dangerous if it aggressively bites, attacks, or severely hurts someone.

The bill would make the owner keep their dogs in a locked, fenced yard and get liability insurance.

A violation could cost $1,000.

If a dog labeled dangerous attacks and severely hurts or kills someone, the owner could face a third-degree felony and the dog could be euthanized.

“It really is penalizing the dogs more than the people responsible,” said James Wildman, who is a humane educator at Animal Rights Foundation of Florida.

Payne told WESH 2 over the phone that the intent is not to go after all dogs – just dangerous dogs.

But Wildman is worried the bill would hurt all dogs.

“Some dogs are just leashed reactive, some dogs are a barrier frustration, and so somebody walking down the street and you have a dog that’s leash-reactive, they might then deem that dog to be aggressive,” Wildman said.

He said there are other important gaps to bridge.

“Maybe we need to put more resources into spaying neuter and positive reinforcement training as well as into the county shelters,” Wildman said.

If a dog fights back while they or their owner is under attack, then the dangerous label wouldn’t apply.

Police K9s would also be exempt from some of the rules.

If the bill passes, it will take effect in July.

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