Florida Senate - 2013 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 674
Barcode 585102
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/02/2013 .
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The Committee on Community Affairs (Latvala) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 823.15, Florida
6 Statutes, is amended, present subsections (2) and (3) are
7 redesignated as subsections (3) and (4), respectively, and a new
8 subsection (2) is added to that section, to read:
9 823.15 Dogs and cats released from animal shelters or
10 animal control agencies; sterilization requirement.—
11 (1) The Legislature has determined that the importation of
12 dogs and cats into, and the uncontrolled breeding of dogs and
13 cats in, this state pose risks to the well-being of dogs and
14 cats, the health of humans and animals, and the agricultural
15 interests in this state. Importation of dogs and cats from
16 outside the United States could result in the transmission of
17 diseases that have been eradicated in the United States to dogs
18 and cats, other animals, and humans living in this state.
19 Uncontrolled breeding The Legislature has determined that
20 uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats in the state results in
21 the birth production of many more puppies and kittens than are
22 needed to provide pet animals to new owners or to replace pet
23 animals that which have died or become lost or to provide pet
24 animals for new owners. This leads to many dogs, cats, puppies,
25 and kittens being unwanted, becoming strays and suffering
26 privation and death, being impounded and destroyed at great
27 expense to the community, and constituting a public nuisance and
28 public health hazard. It is therefore declared to be the public
29 policy of the state that every feasible means be used to reduce
30 the incidence of birth of reducing the production of unneeded
31 and unwanted puppies and kittens be encouraged. Determining
32 which programs result in improved adoption rates and in reduced
33 euthanasia rates for animals in shelters and animal control
34 agencies is crucial to this effort.
35 (2)(a) Each public or private animal shelter, humane
36 organization, or animal control agency operated by a humane
37 organization or by a county, municipality, or other incorporated
38 political subdivision, shall prepare and maintain the following
39 records and make them available for public inspection and
40 dissemination for the 3 preceding years. The following data will
41 be available on a monthly basis commencing July 31, 2013:
42 1. The total number of dogs and cats taken in by the animal
43 shelter, humane organization, or animal control agency, divided
44 into species, in the following categories:
45 a. Surrendered by owner;
46 b. Stray;
47 c. Impounded;
48 d. Confiscated;
49 e. Transferred from within Florida;
50 f. Transferred into or imported from out of the state; and
51 g. Born in shelter.
52
53 Species other than domestic cats and domestic dogs should be
54 recorded as “other.”
55 2. The disposition of all animals taken in by a public or
56 private animal shelter, humane organization, or animal control
57 agency operated by a humane society or by a county,
58 municipality, or other incorporated political subdivision,
59 divided into species. These data must include dispositions by:
60 a. Adoption;
61 b. Reclamation by owner;
62 c. Death in kennel;
63 d. Euthanasia at the owner’s request;
64 e. Transfer to another public or private animal shelter,
65 humane organization, or animal control agency operated by a
66 humane society or by a county, municipality, or other
67 incorporated political subdivision;
68 f. Euthanasia;
69 g. Released in field/Trapped, Neutered, Released (TNR);
70 h. Lost in care/missing animals or records; and
71 i. Ending inventory/shelter count at end of the last day of
72 the month.
73 3. A public or private animal shelter, humane organization,
74 or animal control agency operated by a humane society, or by a
75 county, municipality, or other incorporated political
76 subdivision which routinely euthanizes dogs based on size or
77 breed alone must provide a written statement of such policy.
78 Dogs euthanized due to breed, temperament, or size must be
79 recorded and included in the calculation of the total euthanasia
80 percentage.
81 (b) Records of a public animal shelter, humane
82 organization, or animal control agency operated by a humane
83 society must be made available to the public pursuant to
84 provisions in chapter 119.
85 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.
86
87 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
88 And the title is amended as follows:
89 Delete everything before the enacting clause
90 and insert:
91 A bill to be entitled
92 An act relating to animal shelters and animal control
93 agencies; amending s. 823.15, F.S.; declaring
94 legislative priorities relating to the importation and
95 uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats; requiring that
96 each public or private animal shelter, humane
97 organization, or animal control agency operated by a
98 humane society or by a county, municipality, or other
99 incorporated political subdivision prepare and
100 maintain specified records; specifying the information
101 that must be included in the records; providing a
102 maximum fee for copies of such records; providing an
103 effective date.