TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bill that would have repealed remaining bans on owning pit bulls and other dog breeds in Florida failed in the legislature.
SB 614 passed in the Senate but failed to move forward after it was sent to the House.
Had the bill passed, it would have meant pit bulls could possibly no longer be discriminated against in ordinances and only be judged by their behavior, Florida Politics reports.
While the bill would have allowed local governments and housing authorities to place certain restrictions or additional requirements for owners of dogs that have a history of biting or attacking people or animals, those restrictions or requirements couldn't be applied to an entire breed of dog.
“There isn’t any scientific evidence that there is a particular breed that is dangerous,” Sen. Ileana Garcia, the bill’s sponsor, said earlier to Florida Politics. “What we did see was during COVID, a huge uptick of our shelters in Miami-Dade…We just could not handle the amount of animals that were coming in because people were transitioning to public housing.”
She said at the time dogs shouldn't be singled out by breed.
“Breed-based restrictions are inaccurate, outdated and are disproven in keeping communities safe. These bills would keep Florida families from having to choose between putting a roof over their head or keeping their beloved pet,” Laura Donahue, Best Friends Animal Society Director of Legislation and Advocacy, wrote in a statement earlier this year.
Dahlia Canes has been fighting to get the law changed for a long time after her dog was picked up by animal services. She founded the non-profit the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation. She says she’s not surprised by the outcome this legislative session because this is the same thing that happened in 2012.
“I'm a tough cookie, but at that point, I literally cried myself to sleep. In the morning, I woke up to my pit bull's face in my face, and I looked at her and jumped outta that couch. I went out 'okay, let's do this. Get going, and here we are again,'" Canes said.
Another non-profit, the Polk County Bully Project says Florida is the minority when it comes to having responsible animal welfare laws. It ranks number three in euthanasia rates in the United States.
“We are saddened that yet another bill in response to animal welfare has failed in the Florida legislature. There is no evidence that breed-specific laws make communities safer for people or companion animals. People must choose housing over their beloved pets,” co-founder Angelia Lorio said.
While nothing was passed in the state legislature, there is a bill in congress called the Pets Belong With Families Act that would offer some of the same protections.
10 Tampa Bay's Libby Hendren contributed to this report.