Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law Wednesday bringing harsher penalties and restrictions for owners of dogs that severely injure or kill people.
The bill, known as the “Pam Rock Act,” honors a mail carrier who was mauled to death by five dogs in Putnam County in 2022. Starting July 1, owners of dogs that have attacked humans, severely injured or killed pets, or menacingly chased people will have to carry liability insurance of at least $100,000.
“This legislation is not just a policy change; it’s a proclamation to every Floridian that their safety matters,” Green Cove Springs Republican Rep. Judson Sapp, who introduced HB 593, said in a press release. “Pamela’s tragic death was a preventable loss, and with this act, we aim to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.
Additionally, owners of such dogs must present current certificates of rabies vaccinations, have an enclosure with warning signs, microchip, and spay or neuter the dog.
Animal control gains authority to confiscate dogs pending investigations of incidents and humanely euthanize dogs deemed dangerous that are surrendered.
Owners who don’t comply could face fines of up to $1,000 per violation.
If a dog that has already been classified as dangerous severely injures or kills a person, the owner commits a felony of the second degree. However, for dogs that haven’t been officially deemed dangerous, owners would still face first-degree misdemeanors if they showed disregard for their dogs’ behavior.
Rock’s family and the family of Michael Millett, an eight-year-old boy from Volusia County who was killed by a dog in January, attended the bill signing ceremony, according to the press release from Sapp’s office.
–Jackie Llanos, Florida Phoenix
