CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
House Bill 1457




    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                HB 1457

        By Representative Barreiro






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Search and Rescue (SAR)

  3         dogs; amending s. 843.19, F.S.; defining the

  4         term "SAR dog"; prohibiting the injuring or

  5         killing of an SAR dog under specified

  6         circumstances; providing penalties; providing

  7         an effective date.

  8

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Section 843.19, Florida Statutes, is

12  amended to read:

13         843.19  Injuring or killing police dog, or fire dog,

14  SAR dog, or police horse prohibited; penalty.--

15         (1)  As used in this section, the term:

16         (a)  "Police dog" means any dog, and "police horse"

17  means any horse, that which is owned, or the service of which

18  is employed, by a law enforcement agency for the principal

19  purpose of aiding in the detection of criminal activity,

20  enforcement of laws, or apprehension of offenders.

21         (b)  "Fire dog" means any dog that which is owned, or

22  the service of which is employed, by a fire department, a

23  special fire district, or the State Fire Marshal, for the

24  principal purpose of aiding in the detection of flammable

25  materials or the investigation of fires.

26         (c)  "SAR dog" means any dog that is owned, or the

27  service of which is employed, by a fire department, a special

28  fire district, or the State Fire Marshal for the principal

29  purpose of aiding in the detection of missing persons,

30  including, but not limited to, persons who are lost, who are

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                HB 1457

    543-138-97






  1  trapped under debris as the result of a natural or manmade

  2  disaster, or who are drowning victims.

  3         (2)  Any person who knowingly and willfully and without

  4  lawful cause or justification inflicts great bodily harm,

  5  permanent disability, or death upon a police dog, or fire dog,

  6  SAR dog, or police horse commits a felony of the third degree,

  7  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.

  8  775.084.

  9         Section 2.  This act shall take effect October 1, 1997.

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12                          SENATE SUMMARY

13    Declares it to be a third-degree felony to harm, disable,
      or kill an SAR dog, as defined.
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