TALHASSEE, Fla. — A new bill passing through the Florida Legislature will create a statewide registry for dangerous dogs and place stricter requirements on pet owners.
The proposal, known as Senate Bill 1156, aims to require owners of dogs classified as “dangerous” to register in public state databases. In addition to registering, owners must carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance and in certain cases face a mandatory reservoir.
Under the bill, a “dangerous dog” is defined as a dog that acted in a way that was deemed to be aggressively biting, attacking, seriously injured or intimidating an animal control officer. The owner of such dogs should ensure that the pet is safely locked up, removed from property and registered with local authorities.
Senator Jennifer Bradley, who sponsors the bill, said the law is designed to increase public safety and ensure that owners are responsible for pet behaviour. “We want to make sure Floridians feel safe when they are in their neighborhoods and in public places,” Bradley said.
The bill also proposes stricter rules for incidents where dangerous dogs bite again. In such cases, the dog is affected by immediate reservoir and euthanasia decisions, depending on the severity of the attack.
However, some animal advocates have raised concerns and argued that the bill could disproportionately affect certain breeds and responsible owners. Critics fear that due to the financial burden of necessary insurance, it could lead to shelter surrender or increased euthanasia.
The bill passed its first committee and awaits further discussion in the Florida Senate.
If approved, Florida will join more and more states implementing dangerous dog registries and stricter liability laws.
