Florida Senate - 2013 CS for SB 674
By the Committee on Agriculture; and Senators Montford and Sachs
575-02202-13 2013674c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to animal shelters and animal control
3 agencies; amending s. 823.15, F.S.; declaring
4 legislative priorities relating to the importation and
5 uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats; requiring that
6 each public or private animal shelter, humane
7 organization, or animal control agency operated by a
8 humane society or by a county, municipality, or other
9 incorporated political subdivision prepare and
10 maintain specified records; specifying the information
11 that must be included in the records; providing a
12 maximum fee for copies of such records; providing an
13 effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 823.15, Florida
18 Statutes, is amended, present subsections (2) and (3) are
19 redesignated as subsections (3) and (4), respectively, and a new
20 subsection (2) is added to that section, to read:
21 823.15 Dogs and cats released from animal shelters or
22 animal control agencies; sterilization requirement.—
23 (1) The Legislature has determined that the importation of
24 dogs and cats into, and the uncontrolled breeding of dogs and
25 cats in, this state pose risks to the well-being of dogs and
26 cats, the health of humans and animals, and the agricultural
27 interests in this state. Importation of dogs and cats from
28 outside the United States could result in the transmission of
29 diseases that have been eradicated in the United States to dogs
30 and cats, other animals, and humans living in this state.
31 Uncontrolled breeding The Legislature has determined that
32 uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats in the state results in
33 the birth production of many more puppies and kittens than are
34 needed to provide pet animals to new owners or to replace pet
35 animals that which have died or become lost or to provide pet
36 animals for new owners. This leads to many dogs, cats, puppies,
37 and kittens being unwanted, becoming strays and suffering
38 privation and death, being impounded and destroyed at great
39 expense to the community, and constituting a public nuisance and
40 public health hazard. It is therefore declared to be the public
41 policy of the state that every feasible means be used to reduce
42 the incidence of birth of reducing the production of unneeded
43 and unwanted puppies and kittens be encouraged. Determining
44 which programs result in improved adoption rates and in reduced
45 euthanasia rates for animals in shelters and animal control
46 agencies is crucial to this effort.
47 (2)(a) Each public or private animal shelter, humane
48 organization, or animal control agency operated by a humane
49 organization that accepts taxpayer dollars, or by a county,
50 municipality, or other incorporated political subdivision, shall
51 prepare and maintain the following records and make them
52 available for public inspection and dissemination for the 3
53 preceding years. The following data will be available on a
54 monthly basis commencing July 31, 2013:
55 1. The total number of dogs and cats taken in by the animal
56 shelter, humane organization, or animal control agency, divided
57 into species, in the following categories:
58 a. Surrendered by owner;
59 b. Stray;
60 c. Impounded;
61 d. Confiscated;
62 e. Transferred from within Florida;
63 f. Transferred into or imported from out of the state; and
64 g. Born in shelter.
65
66 Species other than domestic cats and domestic dogs should be
67 recorded as “other.”
68 2. The disposition of all animals taken in by a public or
69 private animal shelter, humane organization, or animal control
70 agency operated by a humane society that accepts taxpayer
71 dollars, or by a county, municipality, or other incorporated
72 political subdivision, divided into species. These data must
73 include dispositions by:
74 a. Adoption;
75 b. Reclamation by owner;
76 c. Death in kennel;
77 d. Euthanasia at the owner’s request;
78 e. Transfer to another public or private animal shelter,
79 humane organization, or animal control agency operated by a
80 humane society that accepts taxpayer dollars or by a county,
81 municipality, or other incorporated political subdivision;
82 f. Euthanasia;
83 g. Released in field/Trapped, Neutered, Released (TNR);
84 h. Lost in care/missing animals or records; and
85 i. Ending inventory/shelter count at end of the last day of
86 the month.
87 3. A public or private animal shelter, humane organization,
88 or animal control agency operated by a humane society that
89 accepts taxpayer dollars, or by a county, municipality, or other
90 incorporated political subdivision which routinely euthanizes
91 dogs based on size or breed alone must provide a written
92 statement of such policy. Dogs euthanized due to breed,
93 temperament, or size must be recorded and included in the
94 calculation of the total euthanasia percentage.
95 (b) Records of a public animal shelter, humane
96 organization, or animal control agency operated by a humane
97 society that accepts taxpayer dollars must be made available to
98 the public pursuant to provisions in chapter 119.
99 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.