Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaJuly 9, 2018

Can “athletes” perform at their best if they are “confined 23 hours a day in a crate”? No, says the Committee to Support Greyhounds, in a new video posted Sunday on Facebook. The group opposes a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at ending commercial dog racing in the state. Amendment 13, placed on the November statewide ballot […]

Danny McAuliffeMarch 26, 2018

A new state law could mean harsher penalties for animal abusers. Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill on Friday that bumps animal cruelty to a level 5 offense up from level 3, meaning convicted offenders are more likely to serve prison time (selling cocaine also is a level 5 offense). The change comes into effect […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 26, 2016

Tuesday evening saw the first Jacksonville City Council meeting of the Lori Boyer presidency. Though the agenda was light, it wasn’t empty. For starters, there was bill to make animal cruelty complaints more enforceable. Time limits for permissible noise were cut to 20 minutes. And instead of requiring two corroborating witnesses, one witness, whose testimony was bolstered by […]

Melissa RossJanuary 12, 2016

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Animal rights groups have scored a major victory against the Greatest Show On Earth, but that isn’t stopping the protests. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, America’s best-known circus, announced Monday it will relocate all its elephants to a conservation center here in Florida by the end of May. That pushes up the […]

Jac VerSteegJune 10, 2015

In one of the more bizarre cases I’ve seen, a Palm Beach County woman has just agreed to a plea bargain that requires her to perform 20 hours of community service. Her crime: Waiting too long to kill her dog. Debbie Mays, who lives in Wellington in Palm Beach County, was charged with animal cruelty […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 5, 2015

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Yes, PT Barnum was right: There’s a sucker born every minute. But you don’t have to be one! As the circus winds its way through Florida, here are some cruelty-free alternatives: 1 – Visit a monster truck show. Humans have found a way to make trucks do amazing things, kind of like tigers and elephants […]

Tag: animal cruelty

Pro-greyhound racing campaign strikes back with new video

Florida strengthens animal cruelty laws

Jacksonville City Council gets tough on animal cruelty

Ringling to retire elephants early; Jacksonville protests still planned

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Woman's crime? Waiting too long to kill beloved pet

Catherine Durkin Robinson: Ten things you can do besides visit the circus