“Trooper” Courtesy, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
The Florida House and Senate will begin work this week on crafting a new state budget for the next fiscal year that begins on July 1, following a late Friday announcement that the ongoing impasse has ended and broad dollar allocations have been agreed upon.
Those of you that know me, know how much I love pets, especially dogs. While lawmakers have struggled to come together on a budget, they did come together this session to protect our furry friends. On top of the Pet Insurance and Wellness Programs we reported on in early May, last week the Governor signed a slew of other bills into law that enshrine animal protections in the state of Florida, including creating a searchable database of animal abusers under Dexter’s Law (HB 255) and Trooper’s Law (SB 150), which makes it a felony offense to abandon pets during natural disasters. The former is named after a shelter dog who was brutally killed after his adoption and the latter for our bull terrier friend who was infamously left tied to a fence while his owner fled as Hurricane Milton inched closer, before being rescued by Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Orlando Morales.
The statewide registry implemented under Dexter’s Law will help curb animal abuse in Florida, effectively barring anyone convicted of animal abuse crimes from adopting new pets or being on the same property as a pet. The legislation also enhances penalties for animal cruelty, creating a 1.25 sentence multiplier to be applied to the defendant’s total criminal punishment code score, which would cause aggravated animal cruelty charges to crest 35 points on the scoresheet, and land the offenders in prison where they belong. As for Trooper’s namesake law, it codifies existing misdemeanor penalties for those who fail to provide food, water, and shelter to their pets, and punishes offenders leaving dogs restrained and unattended during disasters with up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Another bill, HB 593, was signed into law on May 21, and places new restrictions on dogs deemed dangerous by the government, requiring their owners to purchase $100,000 liability insurance and to microchip the problematic pets. Any animal that has injured or killed another dog or human multiple times, been trained to dog fight, or attacked anyone unprovoked would be placed on the dangerous list and any owners that ignore the requirements could face felony charges. Hopefully this legislation will help hold owners accountable for their dogs, keep other animals safe, and bring justice to the criminals who abuse our four-legged friends. As Governor DeSantis put it, “Across Florida we have seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response … Florida stands by man’s best friend.” And so do we here at LMA!
Up next, important developments in property insurance, resilient building, and disaster management as we begin this hurricane season. Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we may be of assistance to you!
LMA Newsletter of 6-2-25
