The Bobby Payne bill comes after an incident in Putnam County last year.
A committee in the House moved forward a potential legislative solution to a canine conundrum.
Rep. Bobby Payne’s measure (HB 873) advanced unanimously by the Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, would impose new parameters on how the state handles so-called dangerous dogs. He noted Virginia and Pennsylvania already have similar laws.
The bill requires the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to create a statewide Dangerous Dog Registry, which would rely on information provided by local animal control agencies.
Owners of potentially dangerous dogs would have to preemptively confine the dog in a fenced yard or a kennel to protect the public.
The legislation would also mandate that dogs being investigated be seized by the local animal control authority for the course of the probe.
Dogs protecting a home or an owner are exempt from this designation.
