Florida Senate - 2020                              CS for SB 522
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       591-02028-20                                           2020522c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to cruelty to dogs; amending s.
    3         828.12, F.S.; prohibiting a person from restraining a
    4         dog outside and unattended during a natural disaster;
    5         providing a criminal penalty; providing a fine;
    6         defining terms; providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Present subsection (6) of section 828.12,
   11  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (7), and a new
   12  subsection (6) is added to that section, to read:
   13         828.12 Cruelty to animals.—
   14         (6) A person who leaves a dog outside and unattended by use
   15  of a restraint during a natural disaster commits animal cruelty,
   16  a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
   17  775.082 or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or both. As used
   18  in this subsection, the term:
   19         (a) “Natural disaster” means a situation in which a
   20  hurricane, tropical storm, or tornado warning has been issued
   21  for a municipality or a county by the National Weather Service,
   22  or the municipality or county is under a mandatory or voluntary
   23  evacuation order.
   24         (b) “Restraint” means a chain, rope, tether, leash, cable,
   25  or other device that attaches a dog to a stationary object or
   26  trolley system.
   27         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.