A.G. Gancarski
The House has agreed to Senate language on a bill (HB 593) intended to protect people from crazed canines.
The “Pam Rock Act,” named after a former Putnam County mail carrier who was killed by a group of dogs while on her route, requires dangerous dogs to be penned. It also requires animal control to quarantine dogs that are investigated for being menaces, including those that have killed or seriously hurt humans.
The final bill also sets up parameters for potential adoption of dangerous dogs, saying “the animal control authority … must post signage on the dog’s enclosure to inform potential adopters that the dog has been declared dangerous and inform any adopter of the dog owner’s requirements under this section. The animal control authority must provide a person who adopts a dangerous dog with a copy of the declaration and must require them to sign a contract with the authority agreeing to abide by the requirements of the declaration.”
The final version also increases penalties for obstruction from the House companion.
“A person who violates any provision of this section commits a noncriminal infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 per violation. In addition, any person who resists or obstructs an animal control authority in enforcing this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.”
Rep. Judson Sapp, who sponsored the House version, successfully urged the House to concur with the changes from the Senate, which he called “last-moment additions that really make this work in a real-world setting.”
A “severe mauling or death” caused by a dog would result in the animal being put to death, Sapp noted during questions about the amendment ahead of the unanimous vote to pass the legislation.
