‘Dangerous dogs' bill holding owners liable for dog attacks, aggressive bites, closer to becoming law

Yahoo

30-04-2025

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — A bill that would hold dog owners accountable for their 'dangerous dogs' moved forward in the Florida Senate and is inching closer to becoming a law.
CS/HB 593, referred to as the 'Dangerous Dogs' bill, requires certain dogs to be confiscated, impounded, or held and securely confined in a proper enclosure if the animals are known to be dangerous.
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'The Legislature finds that dangerous dogs are an increasingly serious and widespread threat to the safety and welfare of the people of this state because of unprovoked attacks which cause injury to persons and domestic animals; that such attacks are in part attributable to the failure of owners to confine and properly train and control their dogs.'
The bill defined 'dangerous dog' as any dog that has aggressively bitten, attacked, endangered or inflicted severe injury on a human on public or private property, has more than once several injured or killed a domestic animal off their owner's property, or has, unprovoked, chased or approached a personin public in an 'attitude of attack.'
These animals would be required to be properly enclosed inside, in a fenced yard or secured pen/structure that prevents them from escaping.
An animal control officer would investigate reported incidents, requiring an interview with the dangerous dog owner, and confiscate the dog pending the outcome of the investigation. If necessary, the dog would be quarantined, impounded and held. The owner would be responsible for all boarding costs and fees pending a hearing/appeal, the bill states.
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A dog would not be considered dangerous if the person attacked was unlawfully on the private property or if the dog was defending a person from an unjustified attack.
The bill is cited as the 'Pam Rock Act,' referring to a mail carrier who was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs in 2022, NBC affiliate WESH reported.
'This bill, what it does is it puts into place a series of laws to help keep people safe when they're living their life, doing their own business, just like Pam Rock was as a mail carrier,' Sen. Jay Collins, District 14, said.
Three months ago, after two dogs mauled an 8-year-old Deland boy to death, the bill regained interest. Sheriff Mike Chitwood, with the Volusia Sheriff's Office, has supported this bill from the beginning, saying this recent situation has put the topic 'on steroids' with Florida lawmakers.
If passed, the bill would take effect July 1. To read the revised version of the bill in its entirety, click here.
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