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Change Florida Dangerous Dog Law
  1. Signatures
    2,422 out of 10,000
    Petitioning
    1. The Governor of FL (+ 2 others)
      Petitioning
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      • The Governor of FL
      • The FL State Senate
      • The FL State House
  2. Created By
    Fred Kray
    Miami, FL
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

Florida's Dangerous Dog Law is unfairly putting innocent dogs on death row. The law fails to provide a statewide dangerous dog definition, resulting in dogs in one county being declared dangerous and euthanized while not being classifed at all in a neighboring county for the same offense.  The law fails to distinquish between an accidental and intentional injury.  In either case, the dog can be destroyed. The law simply does not fairly separate truly dangerous dogs from others. There are currently three dogs on death row in Broward County who would not be classified as dangerous at all in neighboring Dade County.  The law was never intended to be a geographical game of chance.  Help us show the legislators that there is political capital in changing the law so it treats dogs and their owners fairly across the state of Florida.  

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Change Florida's Dangerous Dog Law

Greetings,

I am writing this letter to request that you act to change Florida's Dangerous Dog Law. The law as now written is unfairly putting good dogs on death row.

The law does not have a statewide "dangerous" dog definition, which was what was intended when the law was passed in 2003. As currently applied, dogs in Broward county can be euthanized for an offense that does not qualify a dog as "dangerous" in Dade County.

The law also fails to distinquish between a dog acting aggressively and an accidental injury. The dog can be destroyed in both cases.

The seizure process is now being used to coerce owners to accept a dangerous dog designation - dogs are being held by animal control without visitation during the classification process. Dogs who do not cause a serious injury to a person should be allowed to stay at home during the classfication and appellate procedure.

The initial hearing process is flawed. There is no uniform standard of proof or evidentiary rules that apply. A dog can be impounded, seized and euthanized on hearsay evidence. There is no requirement that the fact finder be neutral and act in a judicial role as opposed to a prosecutor. There should be a de novo hearing on appeal unless rules of evidence apply at the initial hearing.

When deciding the "penalty" for a dangerous dog, it should be required that the fact finder consider the least restrictive alternative that will meet the public interest in safety. Before deciding to euthanize a dog, muzzling, obedience training, confinement or banishment should be considered.

Provocation is only a defense when a dog attacks a human. Such a defense should also apply to animal versus animal incidents as well. If not, the bigger dogs will always be guilty of finishing what a smaller dog started.

Under the current law, a dog can be declared dangerous for simply scaring someone. There is no requirement that such a "scare" be a reasonable one.

The appeal process is flawed, and it is unclear under the current legislation where to file and appeal and what kind of review is required by the judge.

Please change Florida's Dangerous Dog Law so that our companion animals, having served us in war, search and rescue, medicine and other fields of endeavour, get a fair shake in the legal system.

[Your name]

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