To: The Florida Senate Committee on Community Affairs (Sen. Alexis Calatayud, Sen. Rosalind Osgood, Sen. Dennis Baxley, Sen. Lori Berman, Sen. Jennifer Bradley, Sen. Jason Brodeur, Sen. Joe Gruters, Sen. Jonathan Martin, and Sen. Jason W.B. Pizzo)

We, the undersigned, petition the Committee on Community Affairs of the Florida Senate, to oppose the proposed bill seeking to amend s. 823.15, F.S. to exempt from public records the disclosure of persons who adopt an animal from a Florida animal shelter or animal control agency.

We believe there are alternative solutions to eroding our right to transparency from shelters and to obtain these public records, and we are deeply concerned about the implications to masking this information. Obtaining owner information is imperative to: studying trends and policies within your animal shelters; to render aid to pet owners that helps to keep animals from being returned to your overcrowded, overburdened and understaffed shelters; and to obtain useful information about an animal(s) behaviors to help safely place shelter animals in appropriate fosters and homes. Shelters are unnatural environments where survival instincts kick in and many animals act outside their customary behavior. Many shelters fail to obtain detailed intake information to the extent necessary to provide the best possible outcome for both the animals and future adopters.

Should anyone use adopter information for nefarious reasons, which we question the prevalence, Florida law provides avenues for relief, both criminally and civilly. What are the alternatives to a loss of transparency? How do your constituents advocate for better policies and address legitimate concerns?

We do not believe shelters to readily advocate transparency. The people in the best position to note problems, rescues and volunteers, sign contracts that do not, essentially, openly permit advocacy for the animals. At times, shelters have withheld and failed to provide timely, accurate, and complete public records. And shelters have engaged in conduct to silence scrutiny and legitimate criticism in violation of the First Amendment. This has been evidenced in conduct and lawsuits. More transparency is needed, not less.  

It is well known that many people in the great state of Florida love their pets and care deeply about animal welfare. Transparency is necessary to achieve this. Therefore, we ask that this legislation not be passed.