| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to animal welfare; amending s. 823.15, |
| 3 | F.S.; providing legislative findings concerning the |
| 4 | importation of dogs and cats and the importance of |
| 5 | determining what programs result in improved adoption |
| 6 | rates and the reduction in euthanasia rates for |
| 7 | animals in shelters and animal control agencies; |
| 8 | providing additional records requirements for any |
| 9 | public or private animal shelter or animal control |
| 10 | agency operated by a humane society or government; |
| 11 | providing that such records are public records; |
| 12 | specifying a maximum copying charge; amending s. |
| 13 | 828.29, F.S.; providing vaccination and other health |
| 14 | requirements for dogs transported into the state for |
| 15 | adoption; providing that animal control agencies and |
| 16 | registered nonprofit humane organizations are subject |
| 17 | to such provisions; providing an effective date. |
| 18 |
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| 19 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 20 |
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| 21 | Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 823.15, Florida |
| 22 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 23 | 823.15 Dogs and cats released from animal shelters or |
| 24 | animal control agencies; sterilization requirement.- |
| 25 | (1) The Legislature has determined that uncontrolled |
| 26 | breeding and importation of dogs and cats in this the state |
| 27 | results in a greater risk of disease transmission to animals and |
| 28 | humans from animals imported from outside the United States as |
| 29 | well as a risk to agriculture interests of this state created by |
| 30 | the importation of diseases endemic in other areas of the world, |
| 31 | but eradicated in the United States, and in the births |
| 32 | production of many more puppies and kittens than are needed to |
| 33 | replace pet animals that which have died or become lost or to |
| 34 | provide pet animals for new owners. This leads to many dogs, |
| 35 | cats, puppies, and kittens being unwanted, becoming strays and |
| 36 | suffering privation and death, being impounded and destroyed at |
| 37 | great expense to the community, and constituting a public |
| 38 | nuisance and public health hazard. It is therefore declared to |
| 39 | be the public policy of the state that every feasible means be |
| 40 | used to reduce the birth of reducing the production of unneeded |
| 41 | and unwanted puppies and kittens be encouraged. Crucial to this |
| 42 | effort is determining which programs result in improved adoption |
| 43 | rates and the reduction in euthanasia rates for animals in |
| 44 | shelters and animal control agencies. |
| 45 | (a) Additional records requirements for any public or |
| 46 | private animal shelter or animal control agency operated by a |
| 47 | humane society or by a county, city, or other incorporated |
| 48 | political subdivision include: |
| 49 | 1. The total number of animals taken in, divided into |
| 50 | species, in the following categories: |
| 51 | a. Surrendered by owner. |
| 52 | b. Strays. |
| 53 | c. Impounds. |
| 54 | d. Confiscations. |
| 55 | e. Imports into the state. |
| 56 |
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| 57 | Feral cats shall be recorded as a separate category from other |
| 58 | cats. Species other than domestic cats and domestic dogs should |
| 59 | be recorded as "other." |
| 60 | 2. The disposition of all animals taken in, divided into |
| 61 | species, including: |
| 62 | a. Adoptions. |
| 63 | b. Reclaims by owner. |
| 64 | c. Kennel deaths. |
| 65 | d. Euthanizations at the owner's request. |
| 66 | e. Transfers to another public or private animal shelter |
| 67 | or animal control agency operated by a humane society or by a |
| 68 | county, city, or other incorporated political subdivision. |
| 69 | f. Total euthanizations. |
| 70 | 3. A statement confirming the policy of routine |
| 71 | euthanizations of dogs based on size or breed alone. Dogs |
| 72 | euthanized due to breed, temperament, or size must be recorded |
| 73 | and included in the total euthanasia percentage calculation. |
| 74 | (b) Records required by this subsection shall be public |
| 75 | records under chapter 119 and, notwithstanding any other law, |
| 76 | shall be available to the public for a cost not to exceed $1 per |
| 77 | one-sided copy. |
| 78 | Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and subsection |
| 79 | (15) of section 828.29, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 80 | 828.29 Dogs and cats transported or offered for sale; |
| 81 | health requirements; consumer guarantee.- |
| 82 | (1)(a) For each dog transported into the state for sale or |
| 83 | adoption, the tests, vaccines, and anthelmintics required by |
| 84 | this section must be administered by or under the direction of a |
| 85 | veterinarian, licensed by the state of origin and accredited by |
| 86 | the United States Department of Agriculture, who issues the |
| 87 | official certificate of veterinary inspection. The tests, |
| 88 | vaccines, and anthelmintics must be administered no more than 30 |
| 89 | days and no less than 14 days before the dog's entry into the |
| 90 | state. The official certificate of veterinary inspection |
| 91 | certifying compliance with this section must accompany each dog |
| 92 | transported into the state for sale or adoption. |
| 93 | (15) County-operated or city-operated animal control |
| 94 | agencies and registered nonprofit humane organizations are |
| 95 | exempt from this section except for paragraph (1)(a). |
| 96 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012. |