The Florida Senate

585.19  Duty of practitioners of veterinary medicine and owners of animals to report dangerous transmissible diseases or pests; penalty.--

(1)  Any practitioner of veterinary medicine who knows or suspects that an animal is afflicted with or suffering from a disease or pest designated on the department's dangerous transmissible disease list shall immediately report the same to the State Veterinarian in the manner which the department shall prescribe.

(2)  Any owner who knows or suspects that her or his animal is afflicted with or suffering from a disease or pest designated on the department's dangerous transmissible disease list shall immediately report the same to the State Veterinarian in the manner which the department shall prescribe.

(3)  All reports related to a disease or pest designated on the department's dangerous transmissible disease list shall be made in the manner which the department shall by rule prescribe.

(4)  Any veterinarian or owner of an animal who is convicted of willfully failing to report an animal as required in subsection (1) or subsection (2) is guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

History.--s. 7, ch. 7345, 1917; RGS 2107; CGL 3336; s. 6, ch. 25358, 1949; s. 12, ch. 59-457; s. 4, ch. 61-408; s. 22, ch. 90-321; s. 16, ch. 96-231; s. 1189, ch. 97-103.